Letters Home - series part 12
by riley2002
Summary: Myka and Helena are adjusting to their new lives and updating their family the old-fashioned way. (Series part 12?) Okay. Fine. I guess they were not finished yet.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N: **Thanks to all comments and reviews. Always appreciated and considered. It always helps to know specifics to help me gauge my success in presenting my thoughts and consider alternative approaches to clarify the less successful attempts. Keep laughing.

* * *

_Claudia,_

_We have landed. The Regents have set us up in a small bungalow. It is in a comfortable neighborhood and people seem genuinely friendly. However, it still feels like they are keeping watch, but I suppose that is not all a bad thing. Safety is of some concern of theirs still, as is mine, since they do not know what the continued repercussions of my former activities may have on us. At least at the warehouse there was a high level of security. So much for our attempt of trying to get away from the warehouse. Time will tell. They are also continuing to provide us with our means of living for the moment despite Myka's job at the library, so we really cannot complain too much in this early stage. My 'new' occupation is as yet undetermined. I do wonder sometimes if we will ever be completely severed from the warehouse._

_Vanessa has been a wonderful resource and host. She has certainly been an added plus in acclimatizing ourselves to our temporary city. I can't say that I find Atlanta the most enjoyable of places to live. Far too hot and humid for me and I abhor living in air conditioning. Vanessa assures me that it is unusually warm for this time of year and the weather will temper soon. Myka seems to have adjusted just fine. I find that quite odd for someone who grew up in Colorado, but she says she is enjoying the idea of a winter out of the cold and snow. We'll see how she feels come Christmas time, and yes, we still plan to be there for Pete's big holiday bash. Have you heard if Joshua will be able to make it?_

_We have both been cleared, as they say, from any more mind digging and are on a need to see basis. It really has become quite a bore. We are all well aware that the after effects will remain with us all forever. I've already proven that once before. I just get the bonus package in life. We are managing that alright, but we have our difficulties. "You've got the tools, use them." Vanessa can be quiet annoying sometimes, though she is a lovely host and is as much a part of our family as all of you. She does not realize that she slips occasionally. She still carries some guilt for something she had no control of and cannot see that she was ultimately the key to my rescue and continued existence. I see it on her face whenever she sees the scar on my forearm._

_My hand makes slow progress. The specialist has given alternative options, however the thought of yet another surgery does not appeal to me. There are still many concerns regarding the amount of nerve damage. Myka has spent far too much time taking care of me from that stand point. I do not wish to wake up in a hospital bed to her worried eyes yet again, regardless of how short a period of time. I do miss writing left-handed though, as vain as that may sound. At least I am able to make a loose fist now._

_I'm very glad to hear that your newest chess skills are causing Artie a certain amount of distress. Steve has informed me that it is no longer a matter of who wins, which I never doubted (Artie can be so predictable), but how long it takes for you to win. I understand through our Atlanta connections that he has even humbled himself by now asking for various tips to improve his own game. There is nothing more rewarding than your student becoming the teacher. You will learn just as much as teacher as you did student. I must say, that internet chess game has been great fun with you. I'm glad we are able to continue our games, but you must watch your knights more carefully!_

_Sorry to make this so short, but dinner appears ready. Yes, Myka has learned to cook. Well, she makes a good attempt. No more smoke now. Actually, she makes some wonderful meals. We only have Artie to thank for getting us along on feeding ourselves._

_I know you think these letters very old-fashioned, but it seems appropriate. I'm sure you prefer the ease of e-mail, but I am still a very old lady. Take care, and I expect that video of the new grappler very soon. Don't lose much sleep over it._

_Yours truly,_

_-HG_

* * *

"Oh, really, Myka. I don't understand how it is you can bare this weather. It is oppressive." Helena pulled the front of her tank top away from her body several times in an attempt to create some circulation of air against her moist skin as they walked down the sidewalk in the full sun.

"And England isn't?" Despite herself, Myka couldn't help but enjoy the view Helena's actions created, and smiled.

"I didn't say that, either. If I'd wanted to go back there, we'd be in London by now. There are far better places to travel to and I don't understand why you'd wish to spend time there either. I've spent enough time in England for two life times."

"Honestly, Helena, I thought you'd want to go home. I was just throwing out options, okay? I'm trying to figure out where we are going to end up. It's not like we've come up with a concrete idea on where we plan to go and obviously Atlanta is not high on your list of places to live."

"England is no longer home. If you wish to visit, I will go with you. It holds far too many memories, otherwise."

Helena frowned, staring at the walk way in front of her feet, negotiating obstacles and people more by a sense of Myka's movements beside her than actually looking in front of her. It was a constant point of discussion lately about their immediate future. They had yet to decide where to settle. Helena was getting anxious to move on to somewhere. She'd spent too much time stationary during her recovery already and the need to explore weighed heavily on her.

"So, you're going to avoid it all together? We met there you know. We could always break into your home. Knowing how your brain works, I'm sure you can come up with a few things to occupy some of our time in all those secret places of yours."

In actuality, the one time Helena provided a private tour they had made use of a few of the many secrets places in the house. Helena was more than happy to share those spots and was very proud of herself in showing Myka the many nooks and crannies the home hid. But, upon leaving she seemed more melancholy.

"Darling, as tempting as it is, those secret places you care to refer to so often, have been used far more than I care to remember. I am not going to throw you into that mix. You are far more worthy." She dared a sideways glance at Myka, nearly running into another pedestrian before being pulled out of the way by Myka's quick reflexes. "I'd much rather have our own secret places."

Myka barked a laugh. "Like the warehouse library or that little room by the dark vault? I hate to tell you, Helena, but I don't think ANY of our so called secret places were all that secret."

"True. You did have a unique way of giving those secrets away." Helena laughed along with Myka now. It was true they had very few secret places, if any, left. Those they had not given away themselves Claudia somehow always found and wiped from the camera footage.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Myka mumbled.

"Why? Everyone else seems to have."

"Me?! What about you?"

"Yes, well…one could make, uh, a point, uh…Oh, look, here we are. I'll see you in an hour?" Helena stopped short at their destination in front of a small brick building.

"Caught with your pants down, huh?" Myka cocked her head with a smirk on her face, very proud of herself for catching Helena in one of her own verbal traps.

"Actually, several times, but we've agreed that the past is the past, in this case a century ago, and you have no wish to be made aware of such details." Helena smiled back mischievously, nodding her head once.

"I don't think Claudia would agree." Myka continued, smiling.

"Well, that's her own damned fault. At least she finally learned how to knock on a door…for the most part. Look, I must go. He gets very annoyed when I'm late and talks incessantly about the newest reality show, which he knows very well I have no interest in nor knowledge of, as my punishment."

"Fine. I know. I'll see you later. I'll get the groceries."

"Oh, and Myka, don't forget about tomorrow's appointment." She threw over her shoulder on the way through the door.

"How can I forget? It's all our lives revolve around now." Myka grumbled at the closed door.

* * *

Myka waited on a bench outside of the building, three bags of groceries at her feet. She looked at her watch again. Helena should have finished her PT session fifteen minutes ago. Standing up, she walked over to the building, peaking in through the window. Helena sat stoically listening to the therapist. He was animatedly demonstrating something with his hand as she stared at the mobile appendage, then glanced down at her own. She resisted knocking on the window as she looked at her watch again. She wasn't sure why she was so time conscious. It wasn't like they needed to be anywhere. They were just going home to make dinner and possibly a walk before Helena hooked up on the internet for her evening game with Claudia. Habit she supposed.

She sat back on the bench under the tree leaning her head back and looked through the branches at the sky. It wasn't the same, she thought. She missed the big maple in the garden. She sighed sitting back up straight. She was getting more restless as the days passed. At first the sedentary time was a relief, but as the days dragged on, she was getting restless. She wasn't used to staying in one place for so long. She kept reminding herself they were here for Helena's recovery. They needed the time for their recovery. Soon, PT would be more flexible and they could actually travel. That was the plan, right?

She stood up grabbing the cloth bags of groceries before the door opened and was greeted by a fake smile. She was getting used to this routine. PT was becoming more frustrating to Helena as time went by and results seemed to be so slow. She'd learned to walk home in silence and let Helena talk when she was ready.

"Hey, you. What was that all about? You never stay longer than the appointed time. You're usually like a kid trying to be the first one out of school. End up getting detention?" She handed a bag over to the hand reaching out.

"Detention?" Helena scrunched her face up, looking up at Myka questioning the term.

"Detention…it's an after school punishment." Helena was clearly still confused. "Never mind. What's up?"

"Oh, just getting a little overview on our progress, or rather the lack of it. Once again he says it can take a long time." Helena was staring ahead of her focused on her destination this time. "What is for dinner? Did you get Twinkies?" She asked with child-like excitement. Myka would never forgive Pete for bringing Twinkies home.

"Well, that's a way to avoid a conversation." Myka trailed off. "Yes, I got your Twinkies and another bottle of hot sauce. I'm not sure I like that Steve taught you how to make his secret burritos, but I'm not complaining either. On the healthier side, I picked up some fresh vegetables. I thought we could roast them and use up the quinoa from the other night with a salad. What time is your game with Claudia tonight?"

"I'm not sure. She hasn't texted me, yet. Last I knew they were off on some great big adventure…" A sad smile crossed the woman's face.

"Oh. Well, that explains the last few evenings. And here I was thinking you just wanted to work up a sweat with me." Myka was desperately trying to turn the mood of the conversation around and apparently failing miserably.

Helena stopped suddenly, Myka stopping a few steps ahead turning around to meet the dark eyes boring into her.

"Is that what you really think, Myka?" Helena spat. "That you come second to a chess match with Claudia? I'd already declined Claudia earlier in the day. That is how I know they are away. She said they were…oh, what did she say?" Helena stared up into the trees above her in thought. "Oh, yes, 'up to our arm pits in rubber duckies.' I'd love to know what that is all about." She added wistfully. "I still have the conversation on my phone if you need proof."

Myka set the two bags down on the sidewalk and stared at Helena for a moment. Despite the venom behind the harsh words she could see the tears fighting release from their dam. She knew better than to say anything about them. It would shoot a cannon right through the barrier holding back the deluge.

She looked to the same trees Helena had previously sought aid from and took a deep breath, trying fiercely to put things in perspective to the true origins of Helena's anger. She spoke quietly and gently. "Helena, what's going on? I was joking. I've never questioned the reasoning behind your advances since we've been together. I knew you set it up when I came home. I'm not stupid. I know what a nice dinner with my favorite wine and the Schubert Octet has the potential to lead to. Hell, I don't need the dinner and wine. The Schubert is a nice touch, though. I don't think you found me fighting you off. If you remember correctly, I believe it was that damned irresistible neck of yours bent over the sink washing the dishes that ended us up in bed. So, really, what's going on?"

Helena glared at the ground picking up her bag. "Nothing. Let's get going. I'm famished. We have vegetables to prepare and I need a shower. Perhaps my 'damned' irresistible neck will distract you later. You also seem to be quite consumed with that lovely reminder of a bump on my collarbone recently. It least I can feel that now."

Myka was given no alternative but to follow as Helena quickly picked up her sack and left Myka far behind her on the way home.

They prepared dinner in silent synchronicity. They ate on the back patio with little conversation; limited mainly to the characters Myka met at the grocery or the library and the people she watched waiting on the bench. No mention was made of their exchange on the long walk home. They sat on the bench swing enjoying the cooling evening air, much to Helena's relief. Myka sat with her knees pulled up, leaning against Helena as Helena periodically pushed the bench with her feet. One of Helena's request's; if they couldn't have a big maple they were certainly going to have a swinging bench. Helena jumped as her phone vibrated in her back pocket causing her to clock Myka in the back of the head with her shoulder.

"Oh, Myka! I'm so sorry. I thought I took it out of my shorts when I got into the shower. Are you okay?" She rubbed the back of the woman's head gently. Myka turned to sit up on the bench, replacing Helena's hand with her own.

"I think I'll live. It's Claudia looking for a re-rematch. Go log on." Myka smiled before accepting the quick kiss.

Helena looked at the text. "How did you know?"

"I don't know. I thought we decided we didn't really care. That's Claudia's job." She continued to rub the growing bump on her head.

"Are you sure?" Helena's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Positive. I'll clean up the dishes. You two haven't had a game in a while. I don't want to interfere with Claudia's education, as long as you promise I get control of the back of your neck later."

Helena laughed standing up and leaned down for a quick kiss. "If you get my neck that's not all you'll have control of."

Myka just smiled back conspiratorially. "I know. That's what I'm counting on…the rest of your life I think you asked, remember?"

"I did, didn't I?" Helena mused.

"Tenerife, dear. Now go." Myka patted her butt as she hopped into the house with a squeal of surprise.

Myka had just finished with the dishes when she got the text.

_-You're playing a joke, right? I'm playing against you…no offense. It's funny_

_-No. I'm doing dishes_

_-Seriously? Mt. Helena erupt tonight? She sucks- in HG terms that is. I may actually win_

_-Huh? No offense_

Myka walked into the living room. She wiggled in behind Helena looking over her shoulder to watch the game.

"How's it going?" Myka couldn't resist the bare neck exposed to the heat.

"Fine, why?" Helena responded distractedly bending her head forward with a moan, her eyes unconsciously closing. Even Myka could tell which side was in favor and it was not white.

"Just asking. Why are you always white?"

"Need to know basis, I think the expression is."

"I'm going to go take a shower while you finish your game. Speed?" She licked the layer of salty moisture settled on the bare skin before getting up.

"No. Only on weekends or when Artie is hovering. I think things need to speed up, though." She looked up from the screen smiling and winked.

Myka left her, heading for the bedroom.

_-She's been 'off' since PT and not talking yet. Don't let her win…she'll know and ignore you for weeks. How many moves?_

_- Not many, but she can always throw something at me I don't see. Go for the back of the neck._

_- What? How do you know!?_

_-__ I know. Dude, the corner chair is not that dark on movie night. And seriously, Die Hard? She's not that quiet. We ALL know. Geez…_

_- Expect a quick finish. Already went for it :)_

_- I noticed. She'll have me in three moves. Damn it!_

Myka laughed tossing her phone on the dresser.

* * *

Myka had been dozing when she felt her head gently shifted to the pillow from the slender shoulder. Helena was just covering her with the sheet when she perched herself up on an elbow. "Where are you going?"

Helena turned her head around before she walked out the door. "I'm hungry and very thirsty."

Sitting up against the headboard, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes that had started to settle in and pulled the sheet up under her chin against the chill attacking her damp body. Helena returned with two glasses of water, a small bowl and a Twinkie on a tray and half of another Twinkie in her mouth.

Myka chuckled accepting the glass of water. "I can only imagine what Pete would say if he saw you right now; naked, holding a tray and a Twinkie sticking out of your mouth."

Helena finished the cake before commenting. "I hope I'd be more concerned about what you would say to Pete if he saw me like this, especially the cream filling. Really, darling, you have a very unfortunate habit of pulling other people into our bed at the most inappropriate times."

"Uh, no, that would be you. We already know what he thinks."

She sighed settling in against the headboard. "I suppose you're right, on both accounts." She finished half the glass of water, setting it aside before picking up the bowl.

"Do I want to know?" Myka asked with raised eyebrows, unable to clearly see what the bowl contained.

"Know what?" Helena picked up a small round object tossing it in her mouth.

"What's in the bowl?"

"Jalapeño stuffed olives." She offered the bowl. "Want one?"

Myka made a face. "Really? I'm seriously beginning to doubt your nationality and your age. And don't think I don't know you lied for your passport. I know you're biological age and so does Vanessa. It is not 36. Don't worry; your secret is safe…so far." Helena smiled devilishly, throwing another olive into her mouth. Myka shook her head. "Are you pregnant?"

"Unless there is something very miraculous you are hiding from me, I would say that is highly unlikely." She chuckled. "Why would you even ask such a thing?" She asked eating half of the other Twinkie and offering the other half to Myka, who shook her head with a distinct 'no'.

"Uhm, let's think...You're eating Twinkies and jalapeño stuffed olives for an after sex snack. And you're brushing your teeth if you plan on kissing me again tonight."

"So?"

"Didn't you have weird cravings when you were pregnant?"

"Not that I recall, but that was quite some time ago. Was I supposed to?"

"I don't know. I've never been pregnant and never really planned on it. I always thought it was a myth. I never asked my sister and that's just not stuff my mom talks about."

Helena stared at her while eating more olives. "Oh, yes. I remember now. People equate pregnancy with weird food cravings like…pickles and ice cream, right?" Myka nodded. "Do you not like pickles and ice cream?"

"Not together, no. Do you?"

"I've never tried it. When are we going to the amusement park? I still want to ride the roller coaster."

"Wait a minute…what?" Myka was confused. "Are you having some sort of post-orgasm hallucination?"

Helena started laughing. "What are you talking about? I don't think there is such a thing…is there? Myka, none of this is making any sense."

"Exactly!" Myka reached over the bed to pull the blanket off the floor and over them, which Helena promptly kicked off herself.

"So, let me get this straight," Helena continued, "You don't like pickles and ice cream, so you don't plan on being pregnant." Myka stared at her unflinching as Helena ate the last olive. "Myka, you don't even like pickles. Though you do like ice cream…"

"Helena, what are you avoiding? What happened in PT?"

"What are you avoiding? You're the one not getting pregnant." She asked irritated.

"That's a different conversation. I said I never planned on it. I didn't say I wouldn't. Now tell me what is going on that has you rambling on like a bloody idiot."

"I think you're actually getting the hang of that, though it still doesn't sound right…"

"Helena…"

Defeated, Helena crashed her head against the headboard and stared at the ceiling.

"Jonathan and the specialist have been consulting. They do not feel the physical therapy will bring back full use of my hand. There is too much damage. I'm just not able to manipulate the muscles to gain the necessary strength. I'm not even sure why I have an appointment with Dr. Jordan tomorrow," she looked at the clock, "or rather today. There may be some hope with surgery to reconnect some of the nerves and now is the best time to do so. Regardless, the likelihood of a full recovery is unlikely."

"What is their definition of full recovery?"

"I would imagine what it was before I was so fortunate to have a lead pipe brought down upon it multiple times." She finally allowed herself to sink down into the bed with her head in Myka's lap.

"All this time you never said it was more than once. How many times, Helena?"

Myka whispered into the darkness.

"I'm not entirely sure. I passed out after the second time. Perhaps three times? What would be the point in continuing when your victim wasn't aware? I wouldn't have…didn't."

Myka wrapped the blanket around the shivering body shaking with tears. They'd learned to sit quietly until the other was spent from the release. It never stopped the silent tears of the listener, though. This was how they managed now. Myka handed the tissues and a glass of water over to Helena when she was ready, then sunk down into the bed pulling the exhausted body against her.

"What would you accept as full recovery?" Myka asked, pushing the damp hair from tears back.

"I wish I could build that grappler and write left-handed again, but I don't expect that anymore. I know why Claudia doesn't send me updates on the grappler. She's waiting for me to help build it. She needs to accept that I'll most likely never be able to do that again and just build the damned thing. Right now, though, for me full recovery is being able to carry a glass of water to you without having to use a tray. I want the strength to do that. If I get more, then all the better. I won't complain."

"And did Jonathan think Dr. Jordan had a way of doing that?"

"Possibly."

"Then we have a Dr.'s appointment tomorrow. I already took the afternoon off. But you need to brush your teeth."

Helena sat up searching Myka's eyes. "Helena, I know earlier was about escape. I know that. I'd lie if in part it wasn't for me too. You needed it." Helena sat up and leaned back on her feet looking hurt. "It's okay. You're not using me. It's not like your past. I know that's what you're thinking. We both do it. Sometimes that's what we need. I still love you and I know you love me. I don't think you heard me complaining and I'm sure the neighbors would attest to that, too. Sometimes, it's the best sex we have." That got her a smile. "We have sex for a lot of different reasons based on a lot of factors and that's okay. It's okay because ultimately, I trust you to love me. Please brush your teeth because I need to make love to you to heal both of us."

"I thought you liked those olives?" Helena smiled sadly.

"I do, but I really don't want to taste them on you right now. Preferably, sometime before we get to Dr. Jordan's."

* * *

Claudia burst into the kitchen. "Hey, guys look. I got a letter from Myka and HG!" She waved the envelope in the air. Steve tried to grab it out of her hand. "It's addressed to me, Bucko."

"Ofen it hb! Wad hay fay?" Pete asked putting his sandwich down.

Steve and Claudia turned to Abigail.

"He said 'Open it up, what do they say?'"

Steve looked at her suspiciously. "Did Myka teach you that before she left?"

Abigail just shrugged her shoulders. "Well come on, Claudia. What he said!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N:** Thanks to all comments and reviews. Always appreciated and considered. It always helps to know specifics to help me gauge my success in presenting my thoughts and consider alternative approaches to clarify the less successful attempts. Keep crying, keep laughing.

* * *

**A/N:** This is very much an experiment for me and, honestly, I'm not sure I'm very happy with it – so far. Alas, it's off to work I go. So, perhaps four days of complete chaos and exhaustion will change my mind.

* * *

_Hey, Pete,_

_Okay. Hey, everyone, because I know you are reading this to everybody. I was told it was my turn to write a letter. It's been explained to me very clearly. "There is more to life than texting and e-mail and you need to practice your letter writing skills. Hopefully, your penmanship will improve in the process." Why did I end up with the Victorian? Don't answer that. I think I have a pretty good idea what every one of you is thinking._

_Really, Pete, some days I'm ready to throw her back at you. Just don't accidentally fart at the table the day after she makes Steve's bean burritos. Apparently, though, belching is acceptable when she is trying to outdo me. Not surprising, but she won with an 8.4…on the Richter scale. By the way, that was without Kombucha behind it. Are we really sure she was born in 1866? Someone, please research that one._

_I feel like I'm in high school with my teacher looking over my shoulder. In this case, she is sitting on the sofa reading, but I know she keeps looking over here to make sure I'm doing what I am supposed to be doing. As if I don't get enough of that at work. I've suggested she go into teaching. She's actually taking me seriously. So, here is my first attempt before I get yelled at for procrastinating. She really needs to get a job. Which reminds me; Claudia, expect something soon. She's been glued to her workbook. So much for getting away from the warehouse._

_So, the library job is okay. Not thrills-ville, but it's fine for now. Somehow I ended up with story time every other week. Ironic, I know. My little band of story listeners doesn't listen nearly as well as my usual audience. Aside from Pete, no one else spends most of their time picking their nose and wiping their snotty noses on their sleeves. As much as I like Dr. Seuss, I am tired of red and blue fish. I really prefer my time in the research department, but I guess that is no surprise. It's amazing the amount of stuff they have. I do meet some interesting people. It at least provides some funny dinner conversation._

_Helena hates the heat. I think Vanessa lied. You've all experienced Helena when she gets hot and cranky. Thanks for the super-soaker. It comes in handy. We have some great thunderstorms, which Helena found fascinating, until one of them knocked out her laptop. Sorry, Claud. I know you miss the chess, but I really need mine for actual work. Maybe you can play in the middle of the night. I know you burn the midnight candle and she's been wandering around at night lately. She's restless. The new laptop should be here soon. By the time you get this, you'll probably already be head to head in a throw down match._

_Helena decided to go through with surgery. Results have been poor with the PT and it's the best time for the surgery. It sounds like they are going to do some nerve grafts and hope for reconnections. Vanessa can explain it better than I can. So, here we go again. It's in four weeks and we decided to do some traveling first. Not sure what arrangement the Regents have with the library, but they said OK to the time off. We actually don't have much of a plan. Stop laughing, Pete. I guess she's rubbed off on me more than I thought. We have a vague idea of driving up the coast and seeing where we end up. So expect those postcards she promised you. _

_Claudia, you need to start working on the grappler. She knows you are avoiding it. That bothers her more than not being able to finish it herself. It's one of her babies and she needs to see it. So, please, just do it. Maybe she can make the next model. _

_Who told her about rollercoasters? I had to spend a day at the amusement park surrounded by screaming, puking kids. Anyway, I never want to see another rollercoaster anytime soon. Unfortunately, Helena seems to really like them. So, whoever you are, you can go with her the next time. We had a good day, though. I swear she has no fear. I guess in our line of work, none of us really do. _

_Okay. My hand hurts and she left the room. We sent a care package with a little something for everyone. Hope none of them are artifacts. Wouldn't that be funny? _

_Hope you are all staying safe. And, Pete, don't touch anything!_

_Here's looking at you kid,_

_-Myka_

* * *

"So, do I get to use it tonight or not?" Helena asked. She took a well planned position, leaning on the desk in a tank top, braless. "It's been days, Myka."

Myka raised her eyes to notice exactly what Helena had intended. Perspiration coated the view in front of her, drops of sweat landing on the fabric beneath. She raised her eyes higher to look into the pleading eyes.

"I know what you're doing and it's not going to work. I'm not one of your 19th century paramours that faint at your every wile. I was going to say 'yes' because Claudia already asked me earlier, but your attempt at manipulating me like this is going to make me say 'no'. Apologize to Claudia for me when you explain to her why I said 'no'." Myka looked back to the screen trying to ignore the view. Despite her words, work was now the last thing on her mind and it did not include waiting for Helena to play a game of chess.

"Please, Myka? The new one isn't going to be here for at least three more days."

Myka looked up at the pouting face. "I said, no. And really, Helena, do you honestly think I'd be willing to lend you the computer after that? I'd fall for it if you were interested in something else entirely. In fact, you'd probably be backed up against the wall right now if I thought that was what you were interested in, but for the first time in my memory, that is not your intention. Why didn't you just ask me at dinner? I would have said 'yes'. Seriously, you've never tried that on me before. I thought you knew me better than that."

"I do. I don't know." Helena backed away from the desk, her face in her hands. "What's happening to me, Myka? This is not me."

"You need a job. I really think you should look into that Emory thing in the philosophy department. God knows you have a very unique perspective. You're falling back on your footprint. You don't need to be that person with me."

"Footprint? I don't understand."

"It's when we fall back on what we learned early in life. A sort of comfort zone when we are confused, stressed, or frustrated. Like a stamp in our brain. I do it all the time. You learned a way of dealing with an environment that no longer exists, for the most part, in a way you don't need to use with me. I'm not Pete. You used yourself to try to get what you needed and wanted. You manipulate people very well. You know that and use it to your advantage. You just got caught this time."

"Interesting." Helena sat down on the sofa. "Don't misunderstand what I'm about to do. I'm just hot." She stripped off her tank top, using it to wipe down the perspiration around her neck and torso.

"Helena, that's really not helping the situation."

"I'm sorry, Myka, but I am uncomfortably hot. I don't like 90 degree heat with God knows what as a humidity factor. I think Vanessa lied about it cooling down soon. I'm seriously considering cutting my hair off." She wiped the back of her neck with the shirt again before putting it back on.

"Then go take a shower to cool off while I finish this up. And please, do not cut your hair, yet. Give it a chance. We don't even know where we are going to end up."

"Fine. It's getting late anyway." She stood up unclipping her hair and shaking it out. "I'll just go to bed and read after my shower." She kissed the top of Myka's head on her way out.

* * *

Myka looked at the clock. It was two am. _Okay, it's just us, not the warehouse_. She could hear her wandering around the house. Myka stared out the window listening to the movements below. _Great. She just went outside. It's not the worst neighborhood in the world, but certainly not the best either. God help anyone that messes with her._

Myka got out of bed and threw on some clothes. Heading downstairs she picked up the smell of the warmed milk. Hoping she'd be lucky she walked into the kitchen to find a steaming cup waiting for her. _Okay, so we are a little freaky_. She picked up the cup and walked out onto the screened porch joining Helena on the swing.

"What took you so long?" Helena asked tucking her feet under her and taking a deep draw from her snoopy mug.

"Sometimes I just think you need the time alone. How long have you been up?"

"I think you already know the answer to that."

"Yeah, I do. Claudia's in bed sleeping for once, huh?"

"Yup."

Myka turned her head sharply narrowing her eyes. "Did you really just say that?"

"Yup." Helena chuckled. "I told you I was being corrupted."

"You can't blame that one on me. It's a bloody waste to lose those Victorian standards."

Helena broke out into laughter. "Myka, my love, you really can't pull it off. Please, don't even try."

"Then don't say 'yup'. It's disturbing. I kind of like those Victorian standards. You fought them back then, didn't you?"

"Yup." Helena smiled resting her head on Myka's shoulder. She sighed heavily.

Myka rested her head against the one on her shoulder. "You've been restless a lot lately. More than usual. I've let it go hoping you'd say something, but you're holding back. Why?"

"Fear."

"Of what?" Myka placed her hand on Helena's thigh, unconsciously dragging her fingers up and down its full length.

"The unknown I suppose. The future. 'My future has been sealed' after all." Helena watched a moth struggle frantically around the small porch light.

"Those are just cryptic words. Don't take them too seriously." Myka doodled on the knee beneath her hand with her index finger. "So, you've decided then."

"Yup."

"Plan on sharing or have I listened to you stumble around the house during the night for the last week for nothing? Not to mention you're out of character behavior. Though sometimes tempting, it has also been annoying."

Helena sat up straight, jarring the swing. "Annoying? I'll remind you of that the next time I catch you looking down my shirt when you don't think I know. Has it ever occurred to you that I make it easy for you once in a while?" Helena smirked, staring out into the dark of the small back lawn. "You don't honestly think I leave that last button undone for the grocery boy, do you?"

"Well, that would certainly explain why it takes him so long to pack our groceries. You do realize he's like six feet tall and is getting a pretty good show from that height, don't you?" Helena turned her head towards Myka, cocking her head to the side, eyebrows raising into her hairline. "Silly me. Look who I'm talking to; Miss September 1889." Myka stared back, shaking her head. "Look, can we get back to the topic of discussion and not your cleavage, please?"

Helena sobered looking out to the lawn again, listening to the various insects wishing they would answer for her. "Myka, I don't want to wake up in a hospital again to your beautiful, uncertain and concerned face. I'm tired of 'recovering'. But, as much as I don't want to put either one of us through another surgery, I can't help but think it can't get worse for trying. Actually, yes, it could. I could completely lose all use of my hand, but that's not much of a comparison right now, is it? I need to try."

Myka took the hand in question in her own, kissing the tips of the fingers. "Okay. I want you to be able to feel the fullness of that kiss. I'm sorry I made it your decision, but it is your hand and your life. I'd have supported you either way and understood if you chose not to go through with it. But, I was also afraid you'd always wonder 'what if' if you didn't. That just isn't you."

"No, it's not. I don't want to be afraid of the unknown. I've never been before and I refuse to let it consume me now."

"Did you schedule it, yet?"

"Officially, no. I wanted to talk to you first. Unofficially, it's in four weeks. It's the soonest Dr. Jordan could schedule it. I'll confirm it tomorrow."

Myka took a deep breath and released it slowly before resting her head against Helena's. "Well, you better expect that little mother hen of ours flying out here with a chess board under one arm and a new hot sauce in her hand. You're not going to keep her away, you know."

Helena smiled at the vision. "I have your chess board here with me."

They sat listening to the insect's serenade, watching the additional moths flutter around the lone porch light. The late moon started to rise. "I love you, Myka. I wish you didn't have to go through so much trouble with me."

"This is only the beginning, Helena. You have no idea how much trouble I can cause."

Helena laughed quietly. "I think I have some idea. After all, you are staring down my shirt again."

Myka quickly raised her head, surprised and embarrassed at getting caught. "If we go back inside, we won't have to worry about the shirt, will we?"

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on." Helena pulled Myka by the hand towards their destination.

"How old are you again?" Myka laughed trying to keep up.

"Today I'm ten. So, let's go. You promised, Myka. Every rollercoaster." Helena begged.

Myka stopped short almost knocking Helena on her butt with the unexpected pull back on her arm and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're certainly acting ten but you're really thirty-…"

"Don't even think about it!" Helena pointed a slender finger in her face.

"How many more are there?" Myka searched the area trying to figure out what they had missed and amazed Helena had been able to keep track.

"Three. And one re-do." Helena grabbed Myka's hand in an attempt to get her moving again.

"Seriously? A re-do?" Myka pulled the present ten-year old towards her not letting go of her hand as she came to stand in front of her.

"I promise to make it worth your while later." Helena cooed.

Myka snorted at the ploy. "I'll be too tired. Hell, you'll be too tired."

"Tell me that after a shower. I thought you liked my massages."

"Fine. Which one is the re-do?"

"The 'Pete' one."

Myka scrunched up her face trying to figure out what she meant. She casually looked around again at the various rides. "The 'Pete' one? Does it have something to do with food?"

"No! The comic book thing. Do it for Pete."

Myka pulled the crumpled guide map out of her back pocket. She was hot, tired and really needed a shower. Some kid puked on her and she could still smell the residual odor regardless of how hard they tried to clean her leg and foot in the bathroom, Helena, barely able to breathe laughing hysterically the whole time. She looked at the map, her eyes squinting from the glare of the sun reflecting off the high gloss page. She was going to kill whoever mentioned rollercoasters to this dare-devil girlfriend of hers.

"You mean the Batman ride? It's on the complete other side of the park, Helena." She looked up to see Helena's radiant smile. She was having the time of her life. She smiled back, enjoying that one small moment in time, committing that smile to memory for the rest of her life. "For Pete, then."

* * *

"I have to know. Who told HG about rollercoasters?" Pete laughed setting the letter on the dinner table.

Claudia stared at him. "I mentioned it a long time ago, but she was totally clueless at the time. I mean she knew about them, but didn't really KNOW about them. So, don't look at me. I thought it was you."

"Me? No way." Pete shook his head frantically. "I hate rollercoasters. I'd be afraid she'd drag me with her."

Steve shook his head. "Motion sickness."

"Actually, it was probably me." Vanessa piped up from the doorway. "It was totally innocent."

Everyone turned to stare at her.

Artie raised his bushy eyebrows up at her. "Do you have any idea what happens when you put ideas like that into HG's head? She never lets them go."

"It was the standard metaphor. Look, they were having a rough time. I mentioned a rollercoaster and said she should try it."

Abigail burst out laughing, followed by the others. "You know, as her doctor, you really don't know her very well, do you? Poor Myka. She probably got dragged onto every rollercoaster. How many are there at six flags down there?"

Vanessa shrugged. "I'm guessing a lot."

Artie snickered. "Well, at least one of them had a good time."

Claudia snorted, nodding her head. "I'm willing to bet Myka got compensated in the end. Thank God they were not here." Everyone threw their napkins at her. "What? Like you all weren't thinking it. What's in the box?"

Steve started to rummage through the packing material, pulling each item out like it was Christmas morning. "Hmmm….one bottle of hot sauce. That's for me."

"Oh, which one?" Vanessa looked over his shoulder. "Oh, you're going to like that. You can thank me for that one. I swear Helena buys it by the case now. I sometimes wonder about her nationality."

"So do we." He pulled a CD out. "This is for you, Claudia."

"Cool! A local Atlanta band. Hey, Doc. Do you know anything about them?" She passed the CD over.

"Sorry. Never heard of them, but I tend to roam in different circles when it comes to music."

"Ah, ha. Which brings us to this." Steve pulled out an envelope handing it to Artie.

"Me? Really?" He took the envelope opening it. He smiled turning to Vanessa pulling out two tickets. "I think we have a date." He looked at the tickets. "Oh. Oh, my. An evening of Russian music. Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg."

"Hey, what's in there for me?" Pete started poking his head in the box. Steve quickly pulled it away out of reach.

"Wait your turn." He pulled out another item. "This must be for…Abigail." He handed over a small cardboard protected envelope.

Abigail opened it carefully pulling out a small black and white photograph of a man and his dog walking up a fenced hill. "Oh, my God." Her face expressed complete shock.

Vanessa was the first to notice. "What is it?"

"This is from a photographer in, of all places, Maine. I wouldn't expect that from them, considering. I've admired his work for years. But, Maine? Do you have any idea what that must have been like for them to search this out?"

They sat back to admire the photograph. Serene, but powerful.

Steve dug in for the last item. "Here you go, Pete." Pete hesitantly reached out for the item and smiled. A brass tea pot.

"I don't get it." Claudia said.

Pete kept smiling. "You don't have to. I do." A single tear escaped.

Steve looked in the box. It was empty of all but packing material.

"Sorry, Doc., there's nothing for you."

"Oh, don't worry. I get plenty of meals and companionship which is nice for a change."

Artie saw Claudia back off into a corner. "Claudia, what's wrong?"

"Something's not right. Everything is wrong. They haven't really left. I miss them. I really do, but it's all wrong. They need to break the ties. There's too much pain to muddle through. They can't heal until they leave."

Steve cocked his head. "Claudia, what are you talking about? I think they've experienced plenty of pain. How much more do they need to muddle through exactly?"

"I need to go to the warehouse. I can't explain. Something just isn't right." She darted out the front door, letting it slam behind her.

They were left with a closed door and a sudden unease.

* * *

**A/N:** Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99, was written for David Oistrakh. He gave the premiere of the First Violin Concerto on October 29, 1955 with the Leningrad Philharmonic conducted by Yevgeny Mravinsky. It was originally written in 1947-1948. In short, due to political unrest it was not performed until after the death of Stalin. I highly recommend anyone interested to search for a recording of David Oistrakh's performance before expanding to other performers. But that's just my opinion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N: **Thanks to all comments and reviews. Always appreciated and considered. It always helps to know specifics to help me gauge my success in presenting my thoughts and consider alternative approaches to clarify the less successful attempts. Keep crying, keep laughing.

* * *

_My dearest Steven,_

_The planes are shifting and it is unnerving. Any thoughts? Something is not right. I know my continued position has always been not to bother with it, but it is strange. I imagine Claudia is remaining silent for once. She knows something._

_Surgery is set. Claudia still intends to fly out here. It is not necessary, but we know it is more for her than us. It will be nice to see her. For her sake we hope all will be quiet. She worries far too much._

_Tomorrow we leave so this is short. I do apologize. We still have quite a bit to do. We may leave the day after. How strange it is to not have such time constraints. Freedom is not something I am familiar with, even after all this time. My whole life has been controlled in some form or other. _

_Please do not share my concerns with the others. I hope this trip will help settle the anxiety that flows below the surface. _

_Stay safe._

_-HG _

_PS. What is a wet tee shirt contest?_

…..

"Are we really out of kombucha? This is the only bottle in here." Myka turned around from the counter where she sliced up the cheese. Helena was bent over, still rummaging around in the refrigerator, desperately looking for another bottle of the home-made brew.

"I had to toss the last batch. It sat too long and tasted like vinegar. In this environment I swear it only takes three days to finish. You aren't really going to drink it with dinner are you?" Myka stood enjoying the view presented to her.

"That was my plan. Why?" The bottle hissed slightly when she opened it. "We'll have to share."

"And end up in a belching contest again at the table? I thought that would be against your Victorian standards? Besides, you always win."

"Darling, there was no kombucha present at that last one." She smirked pouring the drink into two glasses, handing one to Myka. "Drink it now and get it out of your system. I still have my standards, but as you've pointed out, there are many things I can still work on to assimilate." She released a huge belch.

"So you decided to use Pete as an example?" Myka took a big gulp of her own intending to win this new battle.

"I do agree he may not be the best example to emulate, but he does seem to represent a large part of the population." Another large eruption emitted from the small frame, causing her to physically jerk with the effort just as Myka drank more of the effervescent drink. "It is rather fun."

Myka grabbed her stomach as a small stream of liquid ejected from her nose in a middle of a laugh at Helena's impressive production. "Oooh. Oh my God that hurts. How do you do that?"

Helena started laughing and consoling at the same time, handing her a towel. "Oh, Myka, here. Ask Pete." Myka yanked the towel out ofher hand as Helena backed up and continued to laugh.

"It's not funny!" Myka yelped between her own bouts of laughter.

Helena sunk to the floor against the refrigerator door. "I haven't seen such an astonishing reaction beyond Claudia…"

"Another reason not to make a new batch." Myka finished coughing. "Just feed that mother. I'm taking the food out to the porch. It's too damn hot in here. Bring the wine will you?" Myka wiped her forehead before picking up the tray, mumbling something about air conditioning.

"Ahem. Yes. Of course." Helena tried to get serious, throwing sugar into the jar for the kombucha, spontaneously laughing in short bursts. She picked up the bottle of wine and headed out the door to be greeted by a large burst of cold water. She froze on the spot, speechless.

"Up for a wet tee shirt contest?" Myka roared at the expression on Helena's face, and then suddenly stopped as the expression changed as she saw a dark, cold expression fall over the face, wet hair plastered against her head.

"Now Helena…" Myka's eyes got wide as Helena carefully set the bottle of wine down on the table. "Don't you even think about it, Well's." She dropped the super-soaker Pete had sent.

"Tit for tat. Or would that be tit for tit?" Helena slowly walked down the patio stairs grabbing the hose on the side of the screened door. Myka quickly surveyed her surroundings realizing there was nowhere to go, so she stood there as Helena gladly hosed her down.

Helena dropped the hose, appreciating the soaked Myka standing before her. "Myka, have you ever considered showering fully clothed? It's actually quite pleasing. What is a wet tee shirt contest?"

"No wonder the neighbors avoid us." Myka commented standing in the middle of the lawn. "Ask the guys." She slowly walked towards the patio and dove for the still running hose, rolling to the side and soaking down her partner. Helena tried to dive to the side, but slipped in the mud created by the hose when she dropped it. She fell flat on her face next to Myka, who managed to roll her drenched self on top of Helena holding her down. Not willing to be the loser in this little game, Helena managed to push Myka off with an unexpected move and pressed her full body into the long frame, dominantly holding her down with her forearms.

Helena tried to shake the wet hair plastered to her face out of the way. After three tosses of her head, she gave up and fully leaned into Myka's long frame holding her head lightly as she sought out a recently long absent deep kiss. "Now who's under whom?" She whispered into her ear.

"You don't fool me, Wells. I know for a fact you enjoy being under me far more than you would ever admit to." Myka answered returning the kiss. "And just to let you know, not that you've ever cared, but the creepy neighbor next door is watching everything we are doing. This is Atlanta, not the warehouse."

Helena looked up at the man staring at them. "Oh, hello there. Are you having a good evening? I'm sorry, but did your cable get knocked out? I do believe my evening has just greatly improved. So, if you'll excuse us, I think we'll be heading in just now. I do hope your cable comes back on soon." Helena pulled Myka up off the ground and headed back in grabbing the wine. "Darling, do grab the tray for dinner. I'm famished. What a lovely way to cool down. I am seeing some advantages to living in Atlanta. Very refreshing way to cool off."

* * *

Myka stared at the ceiling wide awake. They'd had a good laugh after changing into dry clothes and eating on the patio. They'd finished off on the evening on the swinging bench in quiet solitude, watching the evening settle in. She turned her head towards the soft snore beside her and smiled, struggling not to laugh out loud at the figure beside her in the dim light peeking through the window from the street. She sometimes wondered if the woman was part cat. This thought caused half-hearted arguments some mornings of disbelief. She never quite understood how the positions this woman slept in could possibly be comfortable. Helena had somehow pinned Myka's right leg down with her calf again and her foot stretched under Myka's other leg. Her right leg hung off the edge of the bed. Covers pushed aside and the sheet shoved down below her waist, the small of her bare back faced Myka daring to be touched. She'd twisted the rest of her body around so that she lay almost completely on her stomach, head resting on her crossed arms hugging a pillow facing away from Myka.

Myka clasped her legs around the one staking claim to her in sleep, leaning over towards the contortion beside her. No longer able to resist, Myka's hand was lured by the bait that lay before her. A single finger, barely touching the damp skin, slowly meandered down the warped back to the edge of the sheet and back up. Instinct alone led her to the jagged scar that ran along the edge of Helena's left scapula, circling it with wonder at its origins. She'd never asked. She'd only accepted it with all the other scars and wounds Helena periodically came home with, unable to explain their appearance.

She continued the tour down her left side, eliciting a slight whimper and a sigh. Helena rolled on her back with a moan, arms stretching above her head as Myka more daringly stroked the now exposed breast, circling slowly inward. Eyes never opening, Helena gasped as her body rose to meet the teasing finger. Replacing her hand with her mouth Myka quickly slid her arm under the back encircling the warmth of her silent lover. She stroked down the far side, following the defined ribs and continued to trace a path along the leg still hanging off the bed, whose foot braced against the side of the mattress. The return trip brought her hand up the inside of the leg to the moist warmth demanding release. Despite all of their friends teasing them for their enthusiastic endeavors, they would never understand that the greatest heights, emotionally and physically, were achieved in silence. It would be quick and intense followed by silent tears.

Gulping for air, Helena stiffened tightly before releasing with a quiet squeak. Myka laid her head on the heated, damp chest, feeling the pounding of the heart beneath as another wave trembled through the body in her arms.

Ignoring the wet trails streaming down the sides of her own face, Helena wrapped an arm around Myka's back holding her close. She buried her hand in Myka's hair, firmly rubbing her scalp before running down the side of the wet cheek, erratic tears coagulating with beaded sweat covering her own body. She pulled her right foot on the bed, cold despite the overly warm night, to be taken in Myka's warming hand.

"What do you do to me in my sleep to make that happen?" Helena asked hoarsely. She began tracing her own path over Myka's back, renewing a dance on the familiar plane. With Abigail's guidance they had been able to learn how to do this for hours; no goals, no expectations, no demands, and no destination in mind, only absorbing each other until they slowly faded into sleep wrapped closely together. Nothing more than exploring finger tips and hands. Mouths tasting and nibbling. Sighs and whispers murmured in the dark with gentle demands; "Close your eyes. Roll over. Sit up. Lie down. Put your arms there." For Myka, it was confirmation Helena was still there, alive and breathing. Still whole and back safe in her arms. For Helena, a confirmation that she was still trusted and loved despite what she continued to believe hovered below the surface; a cold darkness in her soul created by a past of pain and confusion. The mornings would find them still tightly wrapped together, loath to wake, soaking in every fiber of the being beside them.

It was only later, after their work with Abigail, that they would happily stumble into breakfast late holding hands, faces drawn with fatigue, but calm and at peace, to be greeted by their friend's gibes and taunting at their tardy entrance. Abigail would merely smile and fill Myka's big coffee cup, standing by to top it off after Helena drank half of the dark liquid.

The raucous noise from the bedside clock startled them awake from their bliss. Myka groaned, covering her head with a pillow as Helena haphazardly pushed buttons to make the bleating stop.

"Sometimes I do detest technology." Helena grumbled, relaxing back into Myka's arms, starting to doze off again. Myka knew she was the only one to ever know this side of Helena, in any century; the soft mush that wanted nothing more than to snuggle as close as possible for as long as possible.

Myka threw the pillow to the side and ran a hand through the soft hair, placing a kiss against Helena's temple, whispering into her ear. "I need to go to work."

"Call out sick." An almost imperceptible response was mumbled into her neck. "You don't really like the job anyway. You're bored and unchallenged. I don't understand why you didn't let them transfer you into the field office here."

"I can't call out sick because my girlfriend is horny. Besides, we are leaving soon." Myka laughed abruptly.

Helena moved out of Myka's neck slightly. "I am not horny, as you call it. Contrary to popular belief I am not the 'horn dog' that Pete referred to me as. Lucky for him, I didn't know what he meant at the time. I'm simply enjoying being semi-unconscious on you." Helena flopped over on her back with a dramatic 'Umph.' "I'm tired. I may be getting too old for our love-fests."

Myka quickly pounced on her unsuspecting lover eliciting a resounding shriek of surprise. She leaned down whispering in her ear. "I hope not. After all, you are only, hmmm, thirty-six is it? I love that I can do that to you." She chuckled before kissing the tender spot below the ear.

Helena shivered at the warm breath in her ear. "Do what? Exhaust me or make my squeal like a little girl?"

"Both. But if I had to choose, I'd say allowing Abigail to help us learn self-control and actually exhausting you as a result."

"As I recall, since I am now wide awake and memories are becoming quite clear, it was your lack of self-control that started it all in the first place. What exactly, if I may ask, do you do to me in my sleep? It seems the only time I respond so…" she stared at the ceiling beyond the head grinning proudly down at her, "dramatically."

"It's a secret." Myka breathed into her ear before sitting up and straddling the warm, damp body beneath her. She circled the bump on her collarbone left from one of the fractures and traced the slight rise of skin above a small plate. "Are you complaining?"

"Definitely not! It is rather irksome though that I have yet been able to return the favor." Helena stopped the roaming hand. "I thought you had to go to work?"

"I do." Myka sighed, sitting back on Helena's legs.

"Well, then get off me or follow through with your teasing. It's hot already and you are hurting my legs."

"You stopped the hand. Share a shower?" Myka got out of the bed holding a hand out. Helena grabbed it, forcefully getting pulled out of bed and into the waiting arms.

"Only if it's a cold one." Helena disengaged herself and headed for the bathroom.

"We do have air conditioning, you know? All you need to do is turn it on." Myka said to the retreating figure.

"I hate air conditioning. It's too cold and is a shock to my system."

"And I'm getting tired of hearing you complaining about the heat." She mumbled under her breath.

* * *

Myka took a double take at the figure sitting at the table at the end of the aisle. Papers spread around the table and a workbook lay on top in the middle. She had her feet on the chair with her legs hugged up against her, chin resting on her knees. Perplexed, Myka wandered down the aisle stopping at the edge of the table.

"Helena? How long have you been here?"

Helena looked up as perplexed as Myka. "Oh, I don't know. What time is it? I had lunch with Vanessa after I finalized everything with Dr. Jordan's office and she offered to drive me home, but I had her drop me off here instead. I have this to finish and I thought we could go home together and not drive two cars today."

"It's 3:30. Why didn't you come find me?"

"As strange as it may sound, dear, I honestly thought you would know. You didn't know, did you?" Her face fell. "You always know…" She trailed off looking down at her work.

Myka scratched her head. "You look cold."

"I am." Helena had wrapped her arms around her bare legs.

"Then why are you in here?" Myka struggled to comprehend how she could have missed Helena over the past two hours.

"Because it's hot out there, and you are in here. I'm trying to finish this up to send off to Claudia before we leave." She motioned to the organized chaos typical of Helena at work.

"Hold on." Myka walked away without another word. Helena watched her back as it turned around the corner before turning back to her work, her pencil tapping out an irregular pattern on the table's dark surface.

"Here." Helena jumped at the voice. Myka handed her a sweatshirt. "What's going on? You didn't know I was there."

"Nor you me." Helena shook her head, putting the sweatshirt on. "I don't know, Myka. Tired from last night, perhaps?" She tried to smile.

"After those nights it's usually annoyingly strong. Do you feel it?""

Helena sat still, closely examining the papers in front of her before shrugging. "I always have on some level. It's not something I ever think about, Myka. Do you? I thought we decided that was Claudia's job."

"Well, no, not really. It's just there." They sat staring at each other in the quiet of the library. "Maybe you're right and we're just tired." She returned Helena's forced smile. "I'll be done in another hour or so. I'll come get you. Okay?"

"Hmmm…I'll still be here. Don't worry about the time. I have plenty here to keep me busy. I'd hoped to finish it by now."

"What are you working on anyway?"

"Additional security measures for Leena's and the guest cottages. The cottages are rather lacking considering their intended housing."

Helena continued to work, pencil end in her mouth, never looking up when Myka sat down next to her. After a moment's thought and some notes, she looked up raising her eyebrows with a question. "What, Myka?"

"I thought the whole point of this move, was to 'leave'," she quoted with her fingers, "the warehouse? How does your working on designs and projects for different facets of it count as our leaving and starting a different life? Leaving was you're idea."

"Myka, you know it was more than just my idea. I merely presented the facts. It was a joint decision, or so I thought." Helena crossed her arms around her chest and stared at Myka across the table. Getting no further response, she picked up her pencil and went back to work, head tilted down, eyes focused on the nearly finished schematics. "I'm almost done. It's just one little project to keep me busy. Well, two. Claudia got stuck with the grappler so we needed to go back and 'tweak' a few things. I'd be willing to bet a week's worth of dinner and dishes that you make use of this department for various artifacts as well." Helena looked back up, brown eyes boring into green. Myka looked away. "I heard you talking to Pete the other night on the porch and actually giving him advice on one of his artifact searches. I'm correct in that assumption, aren't I? Why did you think you needed to hide it from me? Don't do that. God damn it, Myka, sometimes I think we were better with each other there than we are now."

"It has a huge archive, Helena." Myka complained. "Anyway, we're just adjusting, that's all. You didn't really think we were just going to walk out on our merry way like nothing changed did you? I understand why you wanted to leave."

"Do you really? I thought you did, too?" Helena sat back in the chair.

"You weren't the only one to have good reasons. Look, I need to go back to work. Can we talk about this later?"

"Fine." Helena threw her pencil on the table. "But remember WE made the decision and it's not your job anymore, either. Some travel will do use some good. My hand gets fixed and we plant ourselves somewhere. Just not in Atlanta. I've taken serious thought about that philosophy idea of yours. It's not like any of my designs are worth anything to anyone else."

"We are turning on the AC when we get home."

"We most certainly will not!"

"Shhh. This IS a library; the research department no less. And, yes, we are. I'm tired of listening to you complain about being hot. I'm not exactly comfortable either. Last night was miserable. Well, obviously not all of it." She blushed.

"It's too cold." Helena complained, "And the change in temperature from outside to inside is too drastic."

"We adjust our house to something moderate. I agree it is cold in here. That's why I have that sweatshirt you are wearing. Didn't notice which one it was did you?"

"Of course I did. It's the Manchester United one I brought back for you. It wasn't an easy thing to grab on that mission. We were quiet pressed for time and I thought for sure Steve was going to have a coronary." She giggled at the memory of his anxiety over missing the flight home and accused her of being more interested in getting the shirt than the artifact. He was probably partially correct in his assessment at the time.

Myka smiled at her reaction. "You need to giggle more often. It's too bad no one else gets to hear it. It's cute."

"I did no such thing. I was not giggling. I'm NOT cute. Now go back to work so I can finish this. I really do want to send it out on the drive home."

"If you finish we can send it from here and not have to stop. We have tubes for that kind of stuff. We do it all the time."

Myka left her at the table staring at the empty aisle. Helena dug her phone out of Myka's old briefcase she found for her papers in the closet.

-_What's going on?_

_-Huh?_

_-warehouse._

_-not your problem anymore. _

_-Claudia…._

_-HG. Don't_

_-it's off_

_-I know. Stay away. Only way to fix it. Cut the ties._

_-?_

Not getting any further answer she tossed the phone on the table watching it slide off shattering on the floor.

"Lovely. Now I need to get a new phone."

* * *

"When was the last time you talked to HG and what the Hell did you say to her? Does she know all of this," Steve motioned to the warehouse in front of him, "is going on?"

"I don't know. A couple of days ago. Why?" Claudia was furiously typing at the keyboard in front of her. "And no, she doesn't know. It's not their problem. They left."

"Well, something is obviously not right. You said everything was wrong. What's going on Claudia? What are you not telling us?"

The increased static in the warehouse was more unpredictable. Steve watched as flashes struck from one area to another, but concentrating on one area.

"There's nothing to tell, Steve. I'm trying to figure it out. The warehouse isn't talking to me much, alright?'

"What?"

"She talks to me. Usually a little more subtly, but yeah. Myka and HG still have a connection here. They have to break that and they haven't yet."

"So, what? They can't come back? What about Christmas? Pete's got it all arranged."

"I don't know, yet. I don't think the physical is the problem. It's something else and I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Trust me, I just can't. Why'd you ask?"

Steve looked at the paper in his hand. "No reason."

Claudia's fingers froze and she quickly turned around to look at his hands. She tried to grab the letter, but he was too quick, he shoved it in his mouth before she could grab it.

"Really? You're eating it?"

"Uh, huh."

"You really suck, dude."

Steve swallowed with difficulty. "She told me to."

"Better hope she ran out of poison ink. I already know anyway."


	4. Chapter 4

_Steve, _

_Surgery was pushed up due to a change in the Dr.'s schedule. I am sorry Claudia cannot make it. It would have been nice to see her in person. It is just as well. We are both adults, after all, even if we may not act as such on many occasions. _

_Our travel plans have changed. Myka went back to work and instead we are trying to make arrangements for a trip to Tenerife first. Myka claims she would like to spend more time actually exploring the island and not each other. As there has been little exploring going on, that doesn't seem to be a problem. Claudia's comment was not appreciated either. We first have to arrive without killing each other first. Myka seems to think the killing part is more of an issue for me and not her. I was far from amused with that comment and believe it may actually be the other way around._

_I concede. She was right and I was wrong. Thank you for pointing out in your subtle way what a complete stubborn ass I can be. She is just as stubborn though! It certainly makes life interesting. There's nothing like a good old fashioned row to get the blood flowing. We could do with a bit less flow I think. We seem are excelling in the argument department. I'm sure you are too well acquainted with that, but there has been little reprieve. I fear we are not adjusting to this new life style of ours._

_What is going on there and why will no one tell me?_

_We still plan to be there for Christmas. I miss home._

_-HG_

* * *

"I can't believe it. I just cannot believe it. No, I take it back. I can believe it. How many phones does this make now? You know, those things really are not time machine proof. They certainly aren't HG Wells temper proof." Myka threw up her arms and stopped in her tracks, turning around to face a very pissed off Helena before entering the store. She started laughing, much to Helena's annoyance.

"Do you know how many phones you have gone through since I've known you? Since we've been together? Mrs. Frederic was starting to threaten to not replace them. Now I know why you were told to leave them home before going off on those secret trips of yours and it wasn't for security reasons." She sobered at the reminder of those trips and why they were now in the middle of Atlanta to get a new phone and not South Dakota this time.

Helena was scowling. "It's really not that funny, Myka. It's not as if we haven't replaced yours on more than one occasion. And if you are going to comment on one's temper, let me remind you, I was the target of one of those occasions. It's a good thing I have good reflexes. Be very thankful your friends didn't explain that one to Artie." Helena crossed her arms indignantly, reminding Myka of yet another precursor to the storage unit. "I just don't think about it. I wasn't born with a cellular phone in my hand like the rest of you, and you know very well it was for security reasons…mostly. Admittedly, there was a certain amount of wear and tear on the phones they did give me. They didn't fare much better than I did. At least they were replaceable!"

Myka smiled feebly. "And I bless every night I go to bed that you are there jamming your cold feet under me to warm them up." She so wanted to kiss the sadness away from the face looking away from her into the distance. She wondered at times what Helena saw, but had determined she probably really didn't want to know. When Helena was ready she'd tell her. She grabbed the bottom of Helena's shirt and gave it a tug to bring her back from the dark abyss she had wandered back into. "Come on. Let's go get that 400th phone of yours. I'm going to wander around and meet you out here."

"I think 400 is a great exaggeration on your part." Helena pouted, walking off in the direction of the phones.

* * *

Myka found herself enveloped in the overwhelming oppressiveness of the heavy air that lingered in the house as soon as Helena opened the door. She headed straight for the kitchen with the few items of groceries they'd stopped to pick up for dinner. Myka turned quickly, stopping what she knew was seconds from emerging from Helena's mouth.

"Don't even say it!" Helena's mouth was indeed partially open, in the process of uttering the words Myka was tired of hearing. "We live in Atlanta. We live here because of you. It's hot here. The heat will break. I've tried, Helena. I've really tried to accommodate your ridiculous refusal to turn on the AC. Yes, it can be too cold sometimes, especially in public buildings. I work in one. But this is under our control. Turn on the God damned AC! I'm tired of hearing you complain it's too hot when there is a very easy solution to that problem. When you are hot, you are cranky, and honestly, I just can't deal with it anymore."

"But Myka…" Helena began, a pained expression on her face.

"Don't 'but Myka' me. It's the end of the line. I'm hot. I'm tired. And honestly, as intoxicating as your scent can be to me, when you're hot and sweaty you don't smell so great. I'm going for a walk." Myka headed towards the still open door and slammed it behind her, leaving a shocked and confused Helena staring at the door.

* * *

"Claudia! Can you at least tell me why it's centered over 'that' section?" Artie gestured with wide open arms towards the disturbance before heading for the warehouse doors.

"Artie! I really wouldn't go down there if I were you…" Claudia managed to grab his arm just in time with a push on her chair. "You've come a long way, but the warehouse sort of has a memory of your feelings for said former agent."

Steve leaned against the far wall, arms crossed. "She's right, Artie. You'll get zapped. Pete already did."

"Then, pray tell, what the Hell is going on?" Artie shouted, veins popping out on is forehead.

"Whoa, Artie, back off. Meridians, remember? Start pushing. Don't you think if I knew I would have fixed it by now?" Claudia stared at the erratic cloud over the one section of the warehouse, shaking her head. She had an idea, but she certainly wasn't telling anyone. It had to fix itself.

A phone on the desk rang. Claudia looked down at it before turning her head to give Steve a sly smile. "Speaking of the Victorian, it's your girlfriend, Steve." She looked at the picture that flashed at her. It was a picture of HG looking over her shoulder at him from the nude beach she and Steve frequented in Tenerife. "Really, dude, do you have any idea how totally wrong it is for a gay guy to have a naked woman on the beach on his phone?"

"Ha, ha. She reprogrammed it on me before she left." He snatched up the phone before Claudia could grab it.

"But you haven't changed it…" Claudia sing-songed back to him.

"She jammed it somehow. You should see what she used for you." In a moment of maturity he stuck his tongue out at her. "Hello?" He turned his back to the two arguing over the electrical storm in the warehouse.

"Have you even tried it?"… "Then how do you know?"… "You may actually find out it's not so bad."… "Just try it."… "Honestly, yes, I do."... "HG, you can be so stubborn you become blinded."… "No, you don't need me to tell you that, but obviously you did. Sounds to me like Myka's been very patient with you."… "Think about it."… "I don't know why she walked out. I would guess you really pissed her off."… "That's your job to find out."…"You do it all the time, HG."… "No, nothing going on here that I know about."… "No, Claudia hasn't said a word."… "Everything is fine."… "Huh, really?"…"Well, that is interesting."..."It takes time to adjust. You of anyone should know that. Look what you've had to adjust to in the past few years. I'm sure it'll be fine."… "Yeah, yeah, you too…"

Steve dropped his phone on the desk and leaned over Claudia, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. With a tight smile on his face, he quietly spoke directly into her ear. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Claudia slowly turned her head around to look into his blank face. Her face fell before she tried to smile, teeth showing unnaturally behind her lips. "Irk. Domestic issues?"

"A little bit more than that, and I think you know more than you are admitting to. What's going on with the freak? Is that why we have a big black cloud over a certain part of the warehouse?"

* * *

Myka came home later to a significantly cooler house, the kitchen light left on for her. She walked into the kitchen, dropping a bag on the table, made a margarita à la Helena style and sucked it down. Emptied, she sighed and made another before heading up the stairs to the bedroom.

She leaned against the door jamb, head resting against the wood. The bathroom light was on and its door half-shut, a small slice of light crossing the bed. Helena was sound asleep, covers pulled tightly to her chin. She still couldn't sleep without a light on. Myka frowned, fighting the tears that still scratched at her eyes since the library incident days earlier. Helena had no idea she was home. That new found emptiness in her stomach seemed to grow as she stood in the silent darkness, gazing upon what seemed like a distant face revealed in the light from the bathroom. Abruptly, she turned and trotted down the stairs and out into the heat of the screened porch throwing herself onto the swing, banging the wall as it swung back with the force.

"Shit!" The margarita spilled over her hand. Shaking the liquid dripping down her arm, she finished the remainder in one gulp before returning to the kitchen to make another.

She returned to the bench, tipping her head back, and pushed the swing more gently, back and forth. She smiled when she looked at the ceiling. Helena had gathered branches and fashioned leaves to them over the swing bench in an attempt to emulate the big maple. 'After all, it is our new think spot' she'd said. 'So why shouldn't we have our tree?'

"Oh, what I wouldn't give to be there now." Myka whispered to the cacophony of insects surrounding her. Reluctantly, she picked up her phone and dialed.

"Yeah, Mykes? What's up? You okay?" Pete was breathless.

"Yes, I mean, no, I mean…"

"Hey, Mykes, can I call you back? Kind of in the middle…Ouch! Why you little…a situation here."

"Yeah. Everything's fine." The phone went dead. "Yeah, everything is just peachy."

Myka laughed at the drink in her hand finishing it off. Ignoring the insects she spoke to her empty glass, feeling the effects of its former resident. "So much for self-control, Myka. You never overindulged, right? You overindulged the minute you met her and haven't been able to stop since." She laughed again, more loudly this time. "Until recently, that is."

She set the empty glass under the bench and pushed back again, letting the momentum carry it on its own until it stopped. Helena was right. It was too hot here. They needed to find someplace to settle. She was bored at her job. They were both restless and it wasn't the heat that had them on edge. It was always Helena that walked out on arguments. Myka accepted that as Helena's call for a time out. She still came back when she'd calmed down, or rather they both calmed down, and talked it out.

"What happened to the freak?" Myka implored the insects again. They all seemed to have an answer for her, but not one she could understand. All she could understand was that its loss felt as much physical as it did emotional. Without it they were falling apart. With the surgery moved she was spending more time at work. Helena was stuck in her workbook. They ate, Helena had her game with Claudia while she read and they went to bed. Boom…'and they all fall down'. Myka finally gave into the tears. Everything they had fought for was falling apart. Helena was right again. There was never going to be an easy way with them. With that last thought, Myka headed to bed, ignoring the glass she tipped over on the way inside, and fell into bed without bothering to change. As she drifted off to sleep the last thought through her head was Helena never woke up when she landed on the mattress.

* * *

She woke up the same way she fell asleep; next to an empty cold space. She jerked the covers aside and threw on something, putting ankle socks on her cold feet. She had to admit to herself, padding down the stairs to the smell of coffee, the temperature was more than comfortable. Helena didn't even bother with tea, pouring her own cup of coffee instead. Not drinking it yet, she stepped out onto the porch and sat on the bench facing Myka, bringing her knees up for a place to rest her cup.

"Nice socks." Myka laughed at the Hello Kitty socks Claudia had given her for her last birthday.

"My feet are cold." She said quietly.

Myka handed her own cup of coffee over to Helena with a small smile, exchanging it for the fresh cup. "Your feet are always cold. Your feet will always be cold. It can be ninety degrees out and your feet are cold." Myka lifted her legs up slightly, and waited. "Well, are you jamming them under me or not?"

Helena quickly placed her feet under the offered warmth. "Thank you."

They sat in an uneasy silence.

"Where were you last night and when did you get back? And why are we out here and not inside in the bloody air conditioning, which I admit you were right and I was wrong." She sipped her coffee. avoiding Myka's eyes.

"I adjusted it so it's not so cold. I thought we could enjoy the fresh air before it got too hot." She set the untouched coffee in her hands down on the floor, next to the glass she tipped over the night before. "I was just out thinking, okay? I got you a new phone cover too. 'Military grade' just for you. It's on the table...I sat outside for a while before I came to bed. You were already asleep."

"I never heard you come to bed." Helena frowned. "When did you get up?" Confusion settled over her face watching an equally disturbed expression unfold on Myka's tired and drawn face.

"A couple of hours ago. I couldn't sleep." Myka pushed the bench gently with her feet.

"I thought you had to work today?"

"I called out. I'm tired." Myka stated flatly.

Helena jerked her head back in surprise. "Myka, you never miss work."

"Well, I decided since our plans got messed up, maybe we needed some day trips or something else. Maybe even an athletic nap. If you feel like it, that is. Things have gotten a little dry."

"Really, Myka, it hasn't been that long."

"In our universe it has." Myka sighed. "You don't feel it either do you?"

"Feel what, Darling?" Helena wiggled her feet deeper under Myka's legs, knowing exactly what she was referring to, just as the door bell rang. "Who the Hell is on our doorstep this early in the morning? I'm barely dressed."

Myka stood up, grabbing the items on the floor. "And that's been an issue for you since when? It's probably the grocery boy making an early delivery hoping for a big tip." Myka wandered back in as the door bell rang again.

"Touché." Helena mumbled under her breath, turning to watch the birds in the nearby trees. Two squirrels chased each other in the biggest tree between their house and the neighbor's house, knocking more branches to the ground for her to pick up. "Little bastards."

Helena looked up at the commotion coming from the house. It was too early for visitors. Even for her. Myka stood in the doorway, a strained expression on her face, eyes cold.

"Helena, you have a visitor. Apparently, a very good friend I gather." She stepped aside.

Helena's face turned white before quickly standing and stumbling somewhat in the process. "Michael? What are you doing here?" She fumbled, looking from face to face between the two faces in the doorway.

"I'll get you that cup of coffee to go with these scones you so nicely brought...Michael." Myka looked up to the tall handsome man beside her, smiling, before sending a volley of daggers at Helena with one glance.

The tall man walked out onto the porch, lifting her in his arms before setting her down with a deep kiss.

He laughed and then spoke with an equally smooth, deep British accent. "Helena. I came to see you, of course."

Helena tried to push him away slightly with her hands on his broad, muscular chest. "Uh, Myka, this is…"

"Yes. I know. Michael. I answered the door, remember? You might want to consider some clothes. I'll go get that coffee. Anything for you, Helena?" Myka asked coldly.

Helena looked down at herself. She was dressed in the merest of clothes; a thin, loose tank top of Myka's, baggy boxers and her Pink Kitty socks.

"Uh, yes. I'll be right back. If you'll just excuse me, Michael." Still blanched and very much unbalanced by their new guest, she looked straight into Myka's eyes, pleading for time to explain. The question was how.

"Oh, Helena. There's no need. It's not like I haven't seen you in less. I love the socks, though. Feet still get cold?" He laughed heartily.

"Oh, trust me on this one. It is very much necessary." Helena scurried into the house and up the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N: **Thanks to all comments and reviews. Always appreciated and considered. It always me gauge my success in presenting my thoughts and consider alternative approaches to clarify the less successful attempts. Keep crying, keep laughing. Without one, you can't have the other.

* * *

"What's wrong, Pete? You look perplexed." Abigail sat down at the table across from him eating a peanut butter cookie.

"Oh, huh? Hmm, nothing I guess." He threw the postcard in the middle of the table, not noticing her cookie. It slid over towards Abigail. He took a bite of his sandwich. "If ust ynda veerd." He shook his head and swallowed prematurely, starting to cough.

"What's kind of weird?" She picked up the postcard. "I didn't know they were going to London. I thought Myka said HG didn't have any interest in going there?"

"She did. That's what's weird. HG doesn't change her mind easily, even IF sex is involved."

"That's rude, Pete." She put the card back on the table for everyone else's return for lunch.

"Maybe, but it's true. Really, Abigail, you missed the beginning of the beginning, and the middle and everything else leading up to your arrival. They make up like they fight…200% worth. Wouldn't want anyone else beside me than either one of them." He picked up the postcard. "I mean, what kind of message is this? 'Hi everyone. Hanging out in London for awhile. Wish you were here.' What's up with that? It's just so…lame."

"It is just a postcard." She suggested with little conviction.

"Maybe. But still…" He shrugged, taking another bite of his sandwich tossing the card back.

* * *

Myka stormed up the stairway, close on Helena's heels, slamming the bedroom door behind her to face a naked Helena rummaging through the laundry basket of clean clothes waiting to be put away.

"Just what the Hell is going on and who the Hell is in our house?"

Helena didn't look up from her frantic pawing of the laundry, now pulling things and tossing them aside. "Myka, please. I can explain everything, just not now."

"So, do all of your old friends greet you like that?" Myka stood far back, arms protectively crossed in front of her.

Helena stood straight up, clothes in hand, and looked Myka directly in her eyes. "Myka, please listen to me," she hissed. "We do not have time for this argument right now, and I anticipate it is one that is going to rock all of Atlanta! We have a very unexpected guest on our back porch and I cannot deal with your jealously and whatever else is going on with the person on our porch at the same time. So, please, either shut up and be a cordial host or go to work."

"There is no fucking way I am leaving this house." Myka snapped back.

"Fine. Then suck up that heinous attitude of yours and bring the man the coffee you promised. I need to change." She headed into the bathroom, sighing loudly. Defeated and on the verge of tears, she slammed the sink with her good hand in frustration.

"Myka, could you please pull my hair up?" She whispered into the dead silence of the bedroom.

Myka's sad face appeared over her shoulder to look at the tear stained face in the mirror. Without another word, Myka reached around in front of Helena to grab the hair brush and a tie. Task done, she placed her hands on either arm gently and bent down to kiss the still bare shoulder. She turned without another look, leaving Helena to finish dressing.

* * *

"Michael, it's lovely to see you of course, but why exactly are you here?" Helena walked out onto the porch, intending to get right to the point. There was no room for charm. It had never worked on him anyway.

He stood quickly in greeting, taking both of her hands in his own, kissing her on the cheek. "I already told you. To see you, of course. I must say you are as gorgeous as ever."

Myka leaned back into the swing and rolled her eyes. Her fresh cup of coffee sat on the little table next to her along with a scone abandoned after one bite.

"Well, as pleased as I am to see you, I can hardly imagine this is just a social visit." Helena sat close to Myka, who in turn moved away closer to the end of the swing.

He sat down in the solitary chair Myka had herded him into earlier, picking up his coffee. "Your friend makes wonderful coffee."

"She's not just my friend. She is my partner and lover. Now, why are you here?"

"Oh. Well, this is rather awkward then, isn't it?" His brow furrowed in concentration. "That explains a lot. A lot indeed."

"Michael…" A deadly tone entered Helena's voice that Myka had not heard for a long time.

"You never were one to mince words, were you? Always said exactly what you meant." Michael sat back in the chair digging through his pocket and pulling out a manila envelope. From the other pocket he dug out two phones, placing them on the table next to his chair. "You're being watched."

"I know. The Regents haven't let us alone, yet." Helena rolled her eyes. "What's your point?"

"Be thankful for that, because I find it strange you didn't notice. That's how we know you're being watched. Some of our old acquaintances. You need to leave tomorrow night. These are your tickets and two phones. I don't know where, yet. You'll be the first to know. I'll be watching over you where ever they are sending you. I'll be a day behind you. The contact number is already programmed in the phones. The Regents are close to gathering our friends, but we need you out of here."

"I'm supposed to have surgery on this wretched thing." Helena held up her hand.

"And you will, just probably somewhere else. Don't worry. It's taken care of."

"What do you mean it's taken care of? We left all of this so we didn't have to worry about this kind of thing. How many friends are out there that are going to keep coming back, Michael?"

"For you? No one. Everyone else is accounted for, which is saying quite a bit. These would be our Turkish run."

"So, is she on her own again? How long is this going to follow her?" Myka demanded, slightly panicked at the thought of being separated once again.

"No. You are going too. Consider it a vacation. I was told it was a desired destination of yours. That's part of what I was confused about. I should have known why it was for two." He smiled standing up. "I must be going. Everything you need is in that envelope. I'm sure I don't need to tell you."

"No one can know." Helena whispered as she stared in front of her into the distance.

"Exactly. Myka, it was my pleasure to meet you." He nodded his head at them both. "I'll show myself out. I'm sure you have much to discuss." He cleared his throat. "I am very sorry, Helena, that this has followed you. Both of you." Nodding his head again he left the two on the porch.

Suddenly Helena took her cup and smashed it against the far wall, coffee spraying across the floor. "When will this fucking nightmare be over?"

Myka went over to the table opening the envelope. "Is this some sort of sick joke?" She asked looking at the tickets. She threw them onto Helena's lap. "Great. Just great. What a way to remember an otherwise wonderful memory. Tenerife."

The door slammed behind her leaving a numb Helena sitting on the swing staring at the tickets in her lap. The house shook with the force of the front door seconds later.

* * *

"How could you not tell me? Did you think I would change my mind?" Myka stood behind the sofa, a physical barrier between the two of them. Her hands rested on the back, her arms steadying her.

"From the way you are reacting now, I can see that it may have been a possibility, but no. We worked together before I came back to the warehouse. Our work was the precedent for my continued solo missions." Helena leaned back in the living room chair, arms hanging off the sides of the armrests.

"And it never crossed your mind to tell me? How long, Helena? How long were you with him?"

"It's not that black and white, Myka. I wasn't exactly with him. We posed as a couple. Somewhere along the way the lines got blurred. Then he was a contact between the Regents."

"Did you live together?" Myka stood up, backing away one step further.

Helena already had a headache. She leaned her forehead into her hand, rubbing the creases created by her squinting eyes.

"For a time, yes." She breathed out.

"How long, Helena?"

"I don't know, Myka! There was no concrete time period. What does it even matter? I wouldn't be questioning you if you and Pete had an affair!"

"So you admit you had an affair?"

Helena knew there was no way of avoiding the conversation. It meant little to her now. She wasn't sure if the association every really had. Myka had always been in the background.

"What do you really want to know, Myka? Just ask. I won't lie to you. I never have." She'd finally resorted to holding the side of her head up on the armrest, her palm dug under her cheekbone, distorting the side of her face.

"Really? You've never lied to me. Then how is it ,Helena, that I never heard a word uttered from your mouth about the man who was in our house?"

"I never lied to you, Myka. You made it perfectly clear you didn't want to know about that part of my past."

"From the last century! I've read most of it anyway. Remember? You didn't want me to enter this relationship honestly without that knowledge. I was always the one for you. How long have you actually been in this century? You didn't think even once that he may not have been an important part of this century?"

Disgusted, Helena threw her head back against the cushioned armchair, staring at the ceiling.

"Oh, really, Myka. It's not like you don't have a past you never shared with me. I've never once asked about any of your lovers before I walked into your life. Have I ever asked about Sam? How about that hockey player?" She lifted her head, staring directly into Myka's eyes. "Yes, I know about that little incident. You can thank Pete for that, by the way. I didn't hear it from you. You never thought that was important? I don't. Does it bother me? Sometimes. But, we had no tangible ties to each other. Neither of us even knew if we'd see each other again. Hell, I wasn't sure I'd see the light of the next day back then. While you were playing pseudo-mommy from an artifact, I was running for my life half the time. And if it weren't for Michael, I wouldn't be alive to argue with you right now!"

"Did you love him?" Myka asked quietly, the words echoing in the room.

Helena closed her eyes, covering her face with her hand.

"You did, didn't you?"

"Yes, Myka, I loved him. Or rather, at the time I thought I loved him."

"Did you sleep with him?"

"Oh, come on, Myka, what difference does it make now? It's you I want to be with. It's you I chose to give my ring to, not him."

Myka's eyes unconsciously looked at the ring on her finger.

"Did. You. Sleep. With. Him?"

"Listen to me carefully, Myka. Yes, I slept with him and I stress the word slept. We did not have sex. Is that what you really want to know? Is your ego that fragile? I told you I never had any sexual relations in this century, Myka. Yes, we shared a bed, but that is all. Did I consider more? Yes. I almost followed through on several occasions, but I couldn't get you out of my head! What about you? Did you sleep with anyone? I've never asked you that question! It was never important to me. You judge me unfairly. I never wanted anyone more than I did you. I was alone, Myka. You were nowhere around nor was there a guarantee that I would ever see you again, let alone end up in my dream world. Why, Myka? Explain to me why I shouldn't have taken a lover if I so chose? Bloody Hell! You were surprised, Myka, when I said I'd been with no one in this century. Remember that conversation? It was the same night you fucked me to heaven and back for the first time! Don't be such a fucking hypocrite."

"Was this a farce all this time? All the supposed firsts you had because of me, despite all of your romantic involvements in your so called former life, were they all lies? Did he hold you all night, too? Did he get you through your nightmares?"

"Look, Myka, I understand this is a surprise and a shock to you. Maybe I should have told you, but I honestly thought I'd never see him again. He was a part of a past without you. He was part of the classified part of my life that kept you, and everyone else, safe. I couldn't tell you if I wanted to. I've never cheated on you. Michael remained a contact and nothing else after you accepted me into your life. You have to believe that. If you don't…then I don't know what else I can do to change that." Helena dropped her head into her hands, elbows on her knees.

"He didn't know about me." Myka stated flatly.

"No, he didn't. Why should he? You were not a factor at the time and when you were he couldn't. It was too big of a risk. No one shared their private lives. All he knew was that I said it was over. No questions asked. He always knew something was holding me back. Now he knows who that was. It makes sense to him. Why does it not make sense to you?"

"We need to pack. I'll sleep in the guest room." Myka turned on her heel, tears rushing down her face and ran up the stairs.

"Myka!"

* * *

"Claudia."

She really hated that voice sometimes. At least she didn't jump anymore. She didn't even turn around in her chair. She just kept staring into the warehouse, her chin resting in her hand.

"Yeah. Hey, Mrs. F. What's up?" She grumbled into her hand.

"Claudia." A bit more sternly now. You didn't ignore that one. Claudia spun around in her chair.

"Mrs. Frederic, how nice to see you." Claudia smiled, mimicking an air hug.

"I don't buy it, Claudia. What are you going to do about it?" Her head nodded towards the cloud.

"I don't think I can do anything. It has to work out on its own. They have to fix it. They have to go through whatever it is they have to go through. They are the ones to break the link. They need a cold boot."

"Perhaps. You know what you have to do, don't you?"

Claudia sighed, turning her chair to look at the 'Doomsday Cloud', as Pete had started to call it. It was pretty ominous looking and no one had been able to get near it except…

"Yes, you. You and Steve."

"How'd you know…?" Mrs. Frederic gave her the eye. "Never mind. I think Abigail needs to go in, too.

"You think that wise?"

"Well, it makes sense to me. Abigail probably knows their brains better than any of us."

"Maybe, but she doesn't have the same links you and Steve do."

"What about Pete, though? He and Myka are like…uh, something. I've never really come up with an analogy for them. They're just funny as Hell."

"Pete and HG cancel out Myka. In some ways more than Artie."

"I hate this metaphysical stuff."

"Get Steve and go in there. There is something in there and you know it."

"Yeah, but…" Claudia spun her chair around again to an empty office. "Why does she do that?"

* * *

"Myka, hurry up. The flight is boarding." Helena stood in the middle of the walkway waiting for Myka to catch up.

"I'm right behind you. You haven't lost me yet have you?" Myka snapped throwing her bag over her shoulder. "You're the one that insisted on the stupid postcard. Thanks for your help, by the way."

"It was necessary. They will wonder why they are not hearing from us. We'll send another from Madrid. In my experience the post usually lags a bit in Spain. Let's hope that holds true to form. Maybe we can talk some fool into sending it for us. Americans are always a good gamble for that, no offense."

"Oh, why would I be offended? We are so much more uncouth than Victorian harlots."

"Really, Myka, must you continue with this? You are just being cruel now and for no reason." She handed their boarding passes over before entering the plane. "I'm beginning to think I preferred you not talking to me. Aisle or window?"

"Whatever." Myka threw her bag in the overhead compartment.

"Fine." Helena jammed her bag under the seat in front of her. "Take the aisle for those legs of yours. God knows I won't be allowed access to them any time soon, so you might as well share them with the rest of the world instead." She turned her back to Myka and stared out the window in silence until they landed in Madrid.

"So, what happens now?" Myka finally spoke after sitting in silence for an hour in the Madrid terminal.

"What do you mean?" Helena turned to look at her for the first time since leaving London.

"I've never been in this situation before, Helena, unlike you apparently who seems to have made a living out of it."

"Well, first you stop snarking at me. You are holding an unreasonable, jealous, and cruel grudge against me for no reason what so ever. Neither of us was committed at the time. I beg of you, please stop or we will be in serious jeopardy if we are traced here. Don't look at me like that. How many people did we see last time in Tenerife that was not walking around all moon-eyed and snapping at each other? We need to blend in, and you know that. So get over it already. And as for making a living at it, I had no choice in the matter. My main concern, at all times, was keeping you safe and getting back to your arms in one piece. That's what kept me going." Helena griped under her breath with a well trained smile on her face.

"Fine. So now what?" Myka was close to pouting.

"Stop being so petulant. You have no idea who may be watching. We'll end up in a safe house posing as some sort of hostel. It will not be glamorous, but it will be clean and well kept. Michael will contact us on one of the phones when he arrives. Beyond that we act like the loving couple we are supposed to be. Do you even remember what that was like? And be prepared for one bed. So suck it up and try to remember what it was like to sleep with me before you got zapped by the green-eyed monster. As I recall, you once were rather fond of it. I know I was."

Myka snorted.

"It's not funny, Myka. I am being very serious. Even if you don't care right now, I love you more than the world and I would give my life for you. I love sleeping next to you. I would like nothing better than to make love to you there. I do not want to lose my faith in Tenerife and what we discovered there. I don't know what has happened to Pete's 'freak', but I hate it and I know it has troubled you as much as it has me. Claudia said it was there on purpose. I believe her. I brought it with me. We are still connected somewhere. WE are part of the warehouse. WE are part of each other. Your time has come."

"What?"

"Did you not listen to Claudia? My part has been played out. My future is sealed. Your part is yet to come. She didn't know, yet, how you fit in. Never mind. That's our flight. Perhaps I'm just a silly old Victorian stuck in the wrong century. Let's get on that plane."

Helena stood up holding her hand out. Grudgingly, Myka took the offered hand as she would a stranger's.

* * *

Steve walked in at dinner, a smile on his face and a card in his hand. "Hey, guys! We got a postcard. Guess who's in Madrid?"

Pete turned around gawking at him. "A postcard?"

"Yeah. 'Taking a side trip across the channel. Thought we'd take a little tour.' Guess they decided to travel some more after all before Helena's surgery."

"Give me that." Pete yanked the card out of Steve's hand.

"Hey. It's just a postcard."

Pete handed it to Abigail. "Told you it was weird."

Claudia lifted her head at the sudden tension. "What's weird?"

'We got another one today too. The post mark dates are the same as the postcard from London."

"So, things get mixed up a little on international mail. I get things from Joshua out of order all the time."

"Still…" Pete shrugged. "I'm getting a weird vibe."

Claudia looked at Steve and nodded her head. "Well, good dinner. Thanks all. Come on, Steve. We have that 'thing' we forgot to do."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Bye guys."

Abigail poked Pete in the shoulder. "What's up with them?"

"Huh? Oh, I don't know. It's a pseudo-twin thing. Why would they go to London?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N: **Thanks to all comments and reviews. Always appreciated and considered. It always me gauge my success in presenting my thoughts and consider alternative approaches to clarify the less successful attempts. Keep crying, keep laughing. Without one, you can't have the other.

* * *

"Yeah! Another postcard." Claudia pounced on the card in the middle of the table. "_Taking a little tour. The wine is great and the landscape is very pretty. Hope life is as good for you_?" Huh? What kind of stupid message is that? 'The landscape is very pretty'. Since when do those two say 'very pretty', unless they are making fun of Pete. No Wellsian word play or Mykaisms? What's up with that?" She complained throwing it back on the table.

Pete shook his head, his back to his friends. "That's what I've been saying, people. Those are the lamest postcards ever. Even I can do better than that."

Steve picked up his head. "Wait a minute. Why are they hopping around Spain? Why didn't they just go to Tenerife? I thought that was the plan when her surgery got moved?"

Pete shrugged. "HG is getting flexible in her old age?" He laughed out loud. "Like that'll ever happen. I crack myself up sometimes."

Steve looked back at Claudia, nodding when her eyes met his.

* * *

"Well, I guess it could be worse." Myka said, throwing her bag on the small bed.

"Yes, it can. Believe me, it can be much worse. At least there is a clean bed and there are no insects rushing around into the corners."

"The bed is a little small."

"Don't worry, Myka. I'll sleep on the floor. It's not like I haven't done that before on numerous occasions. You don't even have to tell me this time." Helena dropped her own bag on the floor and kicked it into the corner.

"That's not what I meant." Myka huffed sitting on the bed. "I was just thinking it's going to be a tight fit with someone who has become a bed hog at home."

"I am not a bed hog." Helena declared defensively and threw herself in the one chair in the small room.

"Then what would you call this?" Myka pushed her bag off the bed laughing and proceeded to spread out on the bed on her stomach, mocking one of the many positions she'd seen Helena in before crawling into bed herself.

"I'd call that a cruel tease in your present attitude towards me over the past few days." Helena commented in a low, empty voice and swallowed deeply before looking away from the bed. Not enjoying where her thoughts were leading her, she stood up abruptly. "I'm tired and hungry. There's a tapas bar around the corner. I'm going to go get something to eat and throw back a cortado or two. Do you want to come with me or am I still in quarantine?"

Myka sat back up on the bed. "Helena…" She said softly.

Helena closed her eyes against the woman on the bed and raised both hands up to stop the words. "Myka, please don't. I'm tired of this. You've treated me horribly and I really do not deserve such treatment. I've done my best to allow it because I understand how upsetting this has all been for you. Just a simple yes or no will do."

"Yes."

"Then let's go." She dug out one of Michael's phones from her bag, and thrust it in her back pocket.

"So am I being introduced to that secret life of yours?" Myka asked hesitantly dragging herself off the bed.

Helena shook her head sadly, erupting into a harsh, cold laugh. "Not even close, Myka. Not even close. Let's hope it stays that way. I don't want you to experience that."

Myka followed her out the door and into the street wondering if she knew anything about the woman walking briskly in front of her.

* * *

Steve stared at the disturbance before them, surprised they had gotten this close. The cloud hung over the small section, electrical charges haphazardly flashing through the surrounding area.

"So, this is it, huh? Why is it you and me again? I know you explained it once already, and not that I'm arguing or anything, it's just, uh, intimidating."

"Kind of like the owner?" Claudia asked.

"That too."

"It's all that freaky, metaphysical crap. You and I are the only ones to get this close. Got that crowbar?"

"Yeah. So, the answer is in there?" Steve pointed into the depths of the section, his normally blank face showing great skepticism.

"So she says." Claudia squeaked. "But there are a lot more crates in there than that inventory list. Hmm."

"And how are we getting in?" He asked looking at the lock on the gate enclosing the area. "I thought only Helena had the code."

"Pfff. Look who you're asking. I already overrode the security to the area and that lock?" She walked up to it looking at it closely. "Let's just say I had the best teacher and when you know her tricks, she's sometimes a little more obvious than she appears…" Claudia bit her bottom lip in concentration as she started pushing buttons until the gate opened. "Eureka! I knew it. Just a little research." Claudia looked over her shoulder at Steve winking. "Myka's birthday."

"What are we looking for? We didn't see anything in the inventory list." He placed his hands on his hips, tilting his head to one side.

"I have no frakking clue." Claudia admitted, shaking her head. Without another word, she took her first step into the HG Wells section.

* * *

"Are we just going to sit here all day not talking to each other?"

"Considering the only conversation you seem to be able to have, Myka, includes snide comments regarding my morals and their recent effect on you, I prefer the silence and watching football." The phone in her pocket vibrated distracting her from the television screen in the corner. "Feel free to go back to the hostel or the beach or anywhere else you want to go. Try to figure out how we are spending our so called vacation as a happy couple. I'm going for a walk. I'll try my best not to fall into anyone else's bed before coming back. I think I can manage that. Not that I'm very welcome in my own bed just now. The question is do you trust me?" Standing up she dug into her front pocket pulling out a credit card. "Here. Take this one. The only person I know that could possibly trace it is Claudia and she's not our concern."

Walking out the door without another word, Helena pulled the phone out of her back pocket once down the street in the opposite direction of Myka's view.

"Yes?" She barked.

_-Good. You got there, then?_

"You already know the answer to that. You're not doing a very good job of hiding."

_-Well, I didn't want you to think I wasn't here. _

"Right. I'm hanging up now. I can already see you. We need to talk. Care for a drink?"

_-Sounds lovely, my dear. I understand you have a certain fondness for Ron Miel._

Myka watched as Helena jammed the phone in her back pocket before going through the red door of the building two blocks down from the hostel.

* * *

She sat in the chair waiting for her in the corner, feet staunchly set on the ground to either side of her. She took the glass he slid over to her and downed it in one gulp pushing it back for a refill, and leaned back heavily.

"A very distinct fondness." Michael filled the glass laughing. "Now I know what to get you for Christmas."

"I don't think Mrs. Frederic would approve. I thought you said you would be here tomorrow."

"Today, tomorrow. You know how that goes. They say one thing and do something else entirely. The truth is they sent me right from leaving your house. And you don't work for her anymore, remember?"

"Why you, Michael? Do you have any idea what my life has turned into since you arrived so early on my doorstep? I was barely dressed!"

"Ah, yes. Why me? A trusted friend, I assume. And, I don't recall you've ever been concerned with your state of dress or undress, much to my pleasure, I admit. I did enjoy some of those dresses. I'd hoped you'd be a little happier seeing me. I was not forewarned of the, uh, added complication shall we say. I'd assumed, incorrectly, that the 'for two' part included me. How wrong I was. I thought I made a very good recovery. Do you not agree?"

Helena glared at him over her half empty glass. "I told you, that last time I saw you, there was nothing more between us."

"So, Helena Wells finally got married. I didn't think you were the marrying type. Quite a burst to my ego, really."

"Oh, please, not you, too. I already have my hands full enough with a burst ego and a green-eyed monster as well." She quickly downed the glass, pushing it towards him for a refill.

"No need to worry about me. I can only assume she was what held you back, how can I say this...delicately?...at the last minute?"

"I am sorry, Michael. She was always in the back of my mind. I fought it. God, how I fought it. At the time I didn't…"

He held up his hand stopping her. "Helena, there is no need to explain to me. I'm very happy for you. She must be a very special person indeed to win your heart. She wears your ring." He nodded his head. "You never gave me enough credit for observation. Of course I noticed. It would have to be a one in a million to get that ring off of your finger willingly. And I assume that ring is from her?"

"It runs much deeper than that. Or so I thought." Helena's sad eyes fell to the old men sitting at the bar drinking coffee and around the rest of the small place at various tables playing an intense game of dominoes.

"I've caused some unrest then. I'm sorry. If there is anything I can do…" He drew back her attention.

"I think you've done enough already. Now, what is going on? And why Tenerife?"

"The Regents thought you would enjoy it. It also provides a certain amount of isolation. You had been looking into coming here, were you not?"

"The Regents do not understand why we were planning on coming back here and not somewhere else. Now they may very well have ruined our paradise."

He looked up from the table, tracing an invisible path with is index finger on the worn surface. "Ah, so this would be where…" He smirked.

"Michael…" Helena warned.

He mock shivered. "Ohhh, there's that tone that has always scared me and turned me on at the same time." He smiled over the table when she sighed, filling both glasses and leaned back in his chair. "Okay, this is what I know. Our old acquaintances have been following you for almost six weeks now. We are not exactly sure what they intend, but under the circumstances of our acquaintanceship with them, it can hardly be for a cup of tea and some biscuits. The Regents have been monitoring them, but there has been a significant increase in activity than they like, so they've decided to collect them. It was decided to bring you quickly to a safer location. I have not noticed anything concerning yet, but that in itself can be concerning. My associate is watching the hostel. You didn't exactly leave them with good memories. Losing fingers and such has a way of staying with someone."

Helena unconsciously glanced at her hand before finishing her drink again.

"I'm sorry, Helena. That was thoughtless of me. I wasn't thinking. Please forgive me. I was told what happened. If I'd known I'd have been one of the first to join your friends." His eyes followed the direction of hers, now staring out the windows into the street, the sunlight quickly fading.

"They are my family." She murmured.

"That's good. You are very luck then. I have postcards for you to write. We will drop them sporadically as we need. They will want to know all is well. As far as that hand is concerned, we have you flying out in three days. I don't know where to and I don't know that we'll ever know, but you know they will give you the best."

"And Myka?" The sudden panic in her eyes shocked him.

"My, my, my. She really has stolen that heart of yours." He smiled broadly. "She'll be right there with you. Dr. Caldor was very explicit about that. You are not my only charge, Helena. Myka is as much of a priority as you are. Have no fears about that."

"She IS your priority. I have your word on that?" Helena looked into his eyes with an intensity he'd never seen before.

"You have my word." He nodded slightly. Seeing her shoulders relax slightly, he smiled. "Now, tell me about this fierce maiden of yours. To keep you, she can only be an equally formidable force if not more."

* * *

She leaned her head against the door, careful to latch it quietly, the room slightly spinning. The bathroom light had been left on and it's door ajar, allowing a soft light in the room. Helena slowly stripped off her clothes, dropping them at her feet. She felt grimy and debated on a quick shower from the long travel. Myka might hate her for it, and she'd probably regret it herself, but she just didn't have the energy.

Sitting in the edge of the bed she twisted toward the back facing her. Myka hadn't moved a muscle since she entered the room, her breathing remaining steady and even. Hesitantly, she reached her arm out, hand hovering over Myka's arm, before settling it above her elbow to trace a soft path to her wrist. Gaining more confidence, she brought her legs up on the bed and leaned over leaving a moist kiss on the bare shoulder.

"I know you're still awake, Myka. It doesn't take any bond to tell me that." Helena sighed into the dim light.

Myka still refused to move. "Don't touch me. Where have you been? With Michael?" Myka rolled over on her back to look up at Helena. "I saw you go into the bar, Helena. Not one of your more subtle moves. How exactly did you survive in these situations? Not like that you didn't. It's been over four hours. You could have at least told me. I'm part of this, too."

Helena threw herself back against the small headboard hitting her already aching head against the wall. "Shit." She cringed in pain, leaning her head on her upright knees. Releasing a deep breath, she leaned back again, more gently. "The less you know, the safer you'll be."

"The less I know. Like not knowing about Michael?" She sat up straight pushing her hair from her face to look straight into Helena's face. "What else don't I need to know, Helena?"

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Myka, would you just let it go already? Michael was a part of my past. A very small, short part of my past. You are my present and future and more a part of my past than Michael ever was. Why can you not understand that? Why are you making so much out of this?"

"So let me ask you again. What else don't I need to know? What else don't I know?"

Helena laughed bitterly. "Myka, you have relived more of my past with me in the past year than any one person has ever shared with me at any given time. Does that count for nothing? Are a few months of my life that you had absolutely no involvement in or commitment to really that important to you? I want to keep you safe. That is what is important to me."

"I don't know who you are." Myka whispered.

"Yes, you do. You always have. Even when I didn't know myself."

"Then who are you? Who else is going to show up on my door step?"

"You said you trusted me to love you. Has it ever occurred to you that it has always been you that ultimately doesn't trust me?" She laughed harshly into the dim light of the room. "Funny how it always seems to involve Tenerife. One quasi-relationship from a past before you allowed me to share your life, the rest of our lives according to you, and now I'm the pariah out to jump in just anyone's bed when in fact I've never shared my mind and body wholly with anyone but you. My former life does not exist for me anymore in either century. My life began with you, Myka. You. I thought you knew me better than anyone. Maybe I was wrong."

Helena got up unsteadily and grabbed the clothes on the floor. "What do I have to do to prove myself to you? I thought I already had." Silent tears started to fall to the floor as she dressed, almost falling once getting into her shorts. "I know you can't feel me. I can't feel you either. It's like an emptiness growing like a tumor in my gut, Myka. You've always been there." She stumbled to the door.

"Where are you going?" Myka demanded.

She leaned heavily against the door frame. "I don't know. Somewhere other than where I'm not wanted, because you do not want me in our bed, Myka. All because of something that had nothing to do with you and everything to do with you. You'll be safe. Someone is watching."

Myka jumped out of bed throwing the door open to an empty hallway and sank to the floor in tears leaning against the door as it shut closed from her weight.

* * *

She pounded on the door once more. She looked up into the barrel of a gun. "Really, Michael, I am much too drunk for that game. Only one person is allowed to hold a gun to my head and you are not her." Helena pushed his arm aside as she weaved into the room.

"And you?" He asked shutting the door, turning to her in the middle of the room.

"Right here, of course." She held the gun in the air loosely before placing it on the table. "Times have changed."

"Why are you here? Ahhh, I think I understand." He placed his weapon beside hers on the table.

"Myka would say that is a poor choice of location for a sidearm, by the way. It seems I am not wanted. May I stay here tonight?" She slurred her word slightly.

"Do you think that wise?"

"Where else shall I go? Wander the streets aimlessly until I collapse in a corner somewhere?"

"At least I know you're safe here. Come on. And yes, I remember, the RIGHT side."

She fell into the bed on her back next to him with a heavy sigh and tried to close her eyes against the spinning room. "Do tell me you still do not snore."

"Not that I've been told, but I can't say as I've been in a position to be told since you left." He shut the light off.

She tossed herself around a few times unable to get comfortable. "Bloody Hell!" She stood up and stripped her clothes off.

"Still can't sleep in clothes?" He laughed heartily.

"I've had no reason to and every reason not to." She rolled onto her side with her back to him.

"She's a lucky lady."

"I always thought I was the lucky one." Overcome with the events of the past few days, fatigue and too much alcohol, she burst into tears.

Michael rolled onto his side and collected her in his arms. "Now this is something new. You're definitely married. You've gone soft on me. And, your damned feet are cold."

* * *

"Claudia, what just happened?" Steve looked up at the dissipating cloud.

Claudia looked around her, turning around in a full circle. "Uhmm, I don't know?"

"What do you mean you don't know?" He dropped the crowbar in his hand, the repercussions of the echo in the silence bouncing around them.

"I don't know! Something happened somewhere, and I don't think it is necessarily a good thing."

They were surrounded by the tops of crates they had opened and rummaged through, finding no clues to the events around them.

"Uh, Steve, do you think you could leave me alone here?"

"Are you sure? What if it all comes back?"

"I don't think it's going to…yet."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He almost screeched.

"That's what I need to figure out."

Steve shrugged. "Okay. Keep your Farnsworth close, though." He pointed his finger at her.

"Yeah. Whatever." She sat in the middle of the floor waving him away.

"Fine. I'm leaving, but if you are not back up there in an hour, I'm coming back!" He stomped off in frustration.

Claudia sat cross-legged on the floor listening to the silence. "I'm listening! Why aren't you talking?" She shouted to the top of the rafters beyond view.

"Maybe you are not asking the right questions."

"I thought you said the answer was in here?" She turned towards the caretaker.

"I don't know that it is. It seemed like the best place to start. I think there may be a clue, though. You already know the first part."

"Yeah, Mrs. F.? What is that?"

"When did you first think something was wrong?"

"Uh, when we started to have this huge electrical storm under the roof?" Claudia spread her arms out and stared at the ceiling.

"No, you knew before that. How did you know?"

"I felt it."

"Felt what, Claudia? You can tell me. I'll believe you. I may be a little more familiar with it than you think."

"Their bond. Their connection to the warehouse." She leaned back on her arms, crinkling her face at the woman, concentrating.

"Yes. It's been there long before you were born."

"You knew?" She sat up straight, now.

"Ever since I've been caretaker, Claudia. The same way you do. You were right when you said that the three of you have a unique 'bond' as you call it. But the two of them? It's been there forever it seems."

"All this time you knew? Why didn't you say anything? Why did you fight so hard against HG?"

"The same reason you didn't say anything. You couldn't. They had to do it on their own. Myka had to see the truth and Helena had to find her own way to Myka. I had to test her. That was the only way Helena would believe in herself."

"I don't get it. What's going on with it? What's wrong? How do we fix it?" She wrapped her arms around her legs, and placed her chin on her knees.

"You said it had to fix it on its own. They had to fix it."

"They fixed it?" She spun around to look at the center of the dismantled crates again.

"Oh, no. They did what you said they had to do. They broke the ties. The bond is broken. They have to go through the pain, Claudia. You said it yourself."

"What pain? Why? Will they make it back?" Claudia asked sadly.

"You already know the answer to that, Claudia. Keep looking in there."

Claudia turned around. "Yeah, but…Damn it! Arrrgh. Now I know why Artie gets so annoyed!" She yelled to the ceiling. "Why do I think it's going to get worse before it gets better?" She asked herself. "And why aren't you talking to me? Ouch!" She got hit with a discharge from one of the crates. "Great. Now I don't know which crate it was."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N: **Thanks to all comments and reviews. Always appreciated and considered. It always me gauge my success in presenting my thoughts and consider alternative approaches to clarify the less successful attempts. Keep crying, keep laughing. Without one, you can't have the other.

* * *

"I don't know Artie. It just happened." Claudia snapped back.

"I thought you said it was fixed?" He leaned over the railing rubbing his forehead.

"No, I didn't. What I said was it stopped and I don't know why and Mrs. F. isn't being very helpful with the whole guide the intern and let her figure it out routine." Claudia stared at the growing cloud, more ominous than before. "I'm just going to have to go back in again."

Pete looked at her doubtfully when his phone rang. "Umm, are you sure?"

"No, I'm not sure and come on Pete, will you grow up and change that ring tone already."

Artie smiled behind the hand rubbing his face.

"Hey, it saved my life once!"

"Sort of, and Myka's been running interference between you two ever since. One of these days she's just going to let HG knock you down." Claudia pointed out.

He made a face at her answering his phone. "Mykes?" He pointed at his phone rapidly for everyone else's benefit before walking into the office. "Hey, it's four in the morning. Where are you guys? You keep sending all these really lame postcards."

"Well, yeah, I'm kind of up. Warehouse stuff ya know?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. What's going on? Why are you calling me at four am? You okay? Okay, okay that was a stupid question. Please don't cry. I hate when you cry on the phone…"

"You what?! When? Oh, Mykes that is so not cool. That is like girlfriend mistake number one. What were you thinking?"

"Mykes, listen to me. She has every right to be upset with you and you have no right to hold that against her. You didn't even know you were attracted to her, well okay, maybe you did, but it's not like you 'knew' or did anything about it. We all had to pull your head out of the sand. She should have been sleeping with anyone she wanted to. After a century I would have. You know kind of lubricating the old kinks…and you've got to admit…"

"Okay, maybe not the best example…"

"Wait a minute…she never…ever? You?" He fumbled with his phone trying not to drop it.

"Until you. Ahem. Well, you know." He scratched his head. "Come on, Mykes, you know I hate it when you drag me into your sex life. Okay, well, maybe I don't hate it that much, but really? You. Huh. If she never, ever, you know…then what's the big deal?"

"Are you even listening to yourself? I'm sorry, Myka, but you're kind of being a big jerk and I think you need to pull your head out of your...Myka? Myka?"

He stared at his phone and then out at the two arguing on the deck overlooking the warehouse. Scratching his head, he walked out on the deck. "Claudia, did you know they were fighting?"

"Huh?" She looked at him over her shoulder.

"Myka just hung up on me. They're fighting and she didn't really like my pep talk."

"They're always fighting." Artie mumbled, pushing him off with his hand.

"Yeah, that's why it's so awkward when they make up." Claudia tried to brush it off.

"No, they don't, always fight that is. The makeup part, yeah that's awkward. What I mean by fighting is like, not good fighting, and she wouldn't tell me where they were and it's 4 am. Does that," he pointed to the cloud, "have anything to do with that?" He pointed to his phone. "Because I think it does."

Artie joined Pete's interest in Claudia.

Claudia looked from one to the other, smiling crookedly. "Maybe?" She shrugged.

"Claudia…" Artie started.

* * *

"Get up." Michael demanded throwing the grungy clothes at her prone body spread across the bed. She twisted around sitting up straight with a jerk, disoriented, when her head became a target for the towel that followed.

"There. You'll find what you need in the bathroom. You need a shower and you definitely need a new change of clothes. When was the last time you had a shower?"

She flopped back down on the bed with a groan, rubbing her temples. "Whatever God awful day I left for this Island. I'm not that bad, am I?"

"That was almost three days ago. I have seen you in worse shape, but that's not saying much is it. Now get in the shower and clean up. Does your wife know where you are?"

"I really have no idea. And she's not my wife." She snapped back.

"Testy, testy. Alright then, whatever she is to you, you are not facing her smelling like a drunken sewer rat, and face her soon you shall. Drink this." He handed her a glass of water. "How much more did you drink before showing up at my door? Never mind. I know your capacity. Gunter will feed you what you wish." Helena gave him a quizzical look. "That is correct, he is German and has done a very good job in keeping me unnoticed. Something I'll need to alter now, thanks to you. You always were a pain in my ass. Please, pull up that sheet while you drink that."

Helena looked down at herself, doing as he requested. "It never seemed to bother you before." An impish grin spread across her face as she sipped the water slowly, struggling to keep it down.

"Why would it? You teased me enough in the past. In part, I think it is your nature. However, I've met what you truly struggled with. Now get in the shower. Your present state is rather repulsive and I'm sure you'll agree when you see yourself in the mirror."

Helena got up off the bed. Wrapped in the sheet and grabbing her clothes her face screwed up in disgust. "Yes, a change of clothing is in order."

"There have been some new developments I need to look into. I will gather some clean clothes for you."

"Don't expect a warm welcome." Helena tossed over her shoulder, dragging the sheet behind her walking into the bathroom.

A foot stopped the door from shutting. "I don't. I don't know what is going on between the two of you, but I suspect both parties are at fault. Don't screw this one up."

Helena stared at the tiled floor, refusing to look at the reminder of her past.

"Tell me, Helena, when did you start to carry a gun? I was never able to convince you before, so, why now?"

She looked directly into the hazel eyes above boring straight through her. "I'll do anything to protect Myka. I don't need full use of my left hand to be a straight shot."

"Anything?"

"Yes."

"Good, because I don't think you're going to be very happy with what that entails." He pulled his foot out and left her staring at the room's door.

* * *

Michael heard the distinct sound of the safety being released from the service revolver when he looked down at the gun pointing at him.

"What are you doing here?" Her cold voice asked.

"You're an early riser. Good." Michael held a hand up with the key hanging from his middle finger as a form of supplication. "I believe it is not MY head you wish to be pointing that at, but rather that of a certain arrogant, stubborn, cocky, pain in the ass we both know that is presently showering in my small abode. She is in desperate need of a change of clothes, though. If you would be so kind," he pulled a plastic grocery bag out of his pocket, "I'd be very grateful if you could provide me that change of clothing."

"She spent the night with you." Myka dropped the arm holding the weapon down and yanked the key from his finger.

"Not exactly how I would describe it, but yes, she spent the night at my place. I procured the key from her pocket before throwing her clothes at her."

"You threw her clothes at her. So, she wasn't wearing them?" Myka's eyebrows rose at this news.

"Ah, yes, well it would seem this is not going quite as well as I'd hoped." Michael took one step back towards the door.

"Oh, just sit down." Myka, exasperated, gestured to the chair with her gun before putting it away. "I know nothing happened." She laughed harshly. "You aren't any better at this than she is. She always talks herself into a corner with me. Anyone else and she'd have them in the corner, most likely gagged by now." Myka leaned against the wall, crossing her arms, looking out the cloudy window into the quiet street.

"Not that I'm the best judge of things of this nature, but I'd say the difference lies in the fact that she loves you." He casually leaned back in the chair crossing his legs.

"You are not the best choice of allies for her, right now." She glanced at him.

"I'm not really an ally. I'm here to get her some clothes so we can all have a little chat, elsewhere."

"Why didn't you just knock on the door?" She moved back away from the window.

"Honestly, it never really occurred to me. I didn't think you'd be here or you'd still be asleep, I suppose."

Myka shook her head in disbelief at the ridiculousness of the statement and laughed outright. "Oh, what a pair the two of you must have been. Perfect match made in Heaven."

"Not at all. I was never her equal and she was always fighting an internal battle. A battle centered around you, apparently. Don't look so surprised. I knew she would never be completely invested in me. Despite all of my efforts and charm she never would, well, never mind that." He sighed. He had bigger fish to fry than a jealous wife. "She was fighting you. She was never able to let go of you long enough to commit to anything other than friendship to me. You have no reason to be jealous. She was already yours long before even she knew it. I suspect that only you know the real Helena."

He placed both hands quickly on his knees and stood up. "Now, as much as I am enjoying this little chat, I am not a marriage counselor and there have been some developments that we need to discuss."

"Does it have anything to do with the white car that's been parked on the corner since she left last night? Now it's your turn to not look so surprised." Myka leaned down to grab Helena's bag from the corner it was kicked into the day before and threw it over to him. "You'll probably want this. I don't think we'll be coming back here, do you?"

Catching the small bag with a surprised "oomph", he smiled, handing her a small paper and a card key. "Meet us here in the next hour. It's your new room. Leave those keys on the table." He watched Myka try to process the information thrown at her. "I'm sorry for the circumstances in which we've met. I actually like you very much, Myka. Whatever was broken between the two of you, it must be made right. She's a very lucky lady."

"I always thought I was the lucky one." Myka said sadly glancing out the window again.

"Now I know it was you." He nodded, heading towards the door.

Myka turned away from the window, looking at him confused. "What?"

"She said the very same thing last night before breaking down in tears. I've never seen Helena cry before, nor have I ever seen her carry a gun." He started to open the door.

"Wait. What did you say? She hates guns."

He paused with his hand on the door knob. "Yet, she carries one to protect you, not a tesla. 'Times have changed' were her words. Why do you think?"

"You love her, don't you?" Myka blurted out at the realization.

"No more than an hour. Don't be late." He shut the door behind him.

* * *

Helena quickly turned her head toward the door just before Myka inserted the card key and opened the door. Myka's eyes flashed a cold look before softening at the tired, sad eyes pleading at her from across the room. Like the day before, she dropped her bag on the bed.

"So, this isn't half bad. A little more public than I expected. Nice scenery." Myka commented glancing out the window.

"The whole point right now is not to look like you know they are there. Didn't they teach you that in the secret service?" Michael sat at the table set with breakfast. "I wasn't sure if you'd eaten yet and Helena needs to put some more in that stomach of hers. I'm not sure how much she held down this morning. Thankfully, I wasn't there for that."

Myka sat at the table and poured herself some coffee, smirking. "You should be thankful. She can perform quite an impressive show. Especially when she has the flu."

Helena pulled the chair out next to Myka hesitantly, waiting for protest. "And look what that got you?" Helena added, sitting.

"I'd put that ego aside for now if I were you." Myka made a show of biting into a pastry in front of her.

"Ladies, if you could, we have serious issues here besides your marriage…"

"We aren't married!" They spoke simultaneously, pinning him down with their eyes, and then glancing at each other in surprise.

"What is it with you two? You're both wearing rings and…"

"Michael, let it go. Now that Myka is here, will you just give us the update?" Helena tentatively took Myka's hand under the table and gave it a slight squeeze.

Myka pushed her coffee over to Helena unconsciously as Helena drank half of it first and pushed it back. "Nice to know some things haven't changed." Myka mumbled.

"Uh, take it easy with the coffee, Helena." Michael gave her an odd look. "When did you start drinking coffee, anyway?"

Helena rubbed her pounding head. "Michael, what's going on?"

"This is how it's going to be and no arguments. Helena your last meal may be lunch tomorrow. You are flying out for that surgery. Privately."

"What a lovely forced vacation this is turning out to be. Where is this much anticipated event going to occur?"

"I don't know. I'll know when we get there." Michael trailed off looking out the window over the table.

"Wait a minute, Michael. I know that face. What are you not telling me?" Helena's eyes narrowed when he refused to look at her.

"Sounds like a familiar question." Myka commented.

"Not now, Myka." Helena snapped pulling her hand away. "Michael?" She demanded.

"Myka is on her way to the warehouse. It's the safest place for her right now." Michael jumped up to look out the window into the plaza before turning around to face the two women.

"What?!" Helena exclaimed.

"You are not the immediate target. Myka is. They are watching Myka. They are targeting what will hurt you the most and that is Myka. We confirmed it last night when you showed up on my doorstep. They placed someone at the hostel and he didn't follow you, Helena. They've been watching Myka. We weren't sure until last night."

"And you didn't tell us this? You knew all of this before you even knocked on our door in Atlanta? You are an ass, Michael. A self-righteous, arrogant, ass." Helena hissed at him.

"Please be civil. I was filled in before I landed here. You've been out of this game too long, Helena. You know you have to sit back and wait sometimes. You wanted Myka to be my priority? She is. You are just as important to me. You need that surgery and that's your safe place."

"But Myka is coming with me first, right?"

"No."

"Yes, she is."

"Umm, excuse me…" Myka tried to interrupt.

"No, Helena. I'm sorry. She needs to be pulled out. We can grab the little boy out in the plaza watching you right now, but that isn't going to get us to the source. And we both know, neither of you are safe until we get to the source. You want her to be my priority? Then this is what is going to happen. She goes to the warehouse and you get surgery."

"Excuse me! Don't I have a say in any of this?" Myka finally shouted.

Helena looked over at Myka before turning to look at the hazel eyes watching her knowingly, eyebrows barely raised. She closed her eyes and swallowed, nodding her head slightly.

"Not really." Michael shrugged his shoulders.

"This is exactly why we wanted out of the warehouse." Myka shot back. She rubbed her head. "Rebecca was right."

"You can leave the warehouse, but the warehouse never leaves you." Michael gave a half-hearted smile at Helena's blank face.

"Then what the Hell are we doing here?" Myka asked. "I don't get it."

"Actually, it was intended as the vacation you were planning. We'd clear it all up and you'd go home. When asked, Mrs. Frederic said this would probably be your first choice. She laughed a lot over it for some reason. Something about honey rum and airplanes? Must be a good story there somewhere."

"Mrs. Frederic laughs?" Myka asked in disbelief.

"Actually, quite often I understand when Helena's name is brought up."

"This is so wrong. We can't do this right now." Myka complained.

"You don't have a choice. You know that. You have tonight and you go your separate ways. If you go out, stay public. I'll be close. If I were you, I'd spend my time here with room service. But I was never you." Michael smiled sadly in Helena's direction. He looked at his watch. "You have 18 hours with each other. I recommend you make the most of it. Helena will meet you at the warehouse as soon as we can get her there. She needs that surgery."

The two women looked at each other before unconsciously being drawn to the hand at Helena's side.

"I'll be picking you up at 5am."

Michael got up and walked to the door, closing it quietly behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N: **Thanks to all comments and reviews. Always appreciated and considered. It always me gauge my success in presenting my thoughts and consider alternative approaches to clarify the less successful attempts. Keep crying, keep laughing. Without one, you can't have the other.

* * *

Myka was pacing back and forth across the room, occasionally stopping to look at Helena tipping back in her chair staring at the ceiling, shake her head and continue pacing.

Helena dropped her chair heavily back on the floor. "Myka, stop. Just…stop."

Myka stopped dead in the middle of the room. Helena sat emotionless in the chair, face drawn and haggard from the long days before and an apparently very drunken evening.

"Stop? You want me to stop? Someone wants me, just to get back at you, for something you did before…" she trailed off weakly.

"Before what?" She asked quietly. Not getting an answer, she got up to stand before the taller woman, placing her hands on both hips and looking into the frustration boring into her. "Myka, before what?"

"Before…before I had to go and fall in love with Dangerous Dolly!"

Helena burst out laughing. "Dangerous Dolly? I think I just might prefer Mount Helena a tad bit more. At least it gives credence to the dramatic eruptions you have provided, both in and out of bed." She continued laughing at Myka's continued frustration mixed with embarrassment. "Besides, you were already in love with me and you know it. That's one of the reasons Michael has been such a problem for you." She took Myka's hand and pulled her towards the bed, throwing the bag to the floor.

"Come on. Up you go." Meeting resistance she tugged the hand harder dragging Myka onto the bed. "Sometimes you are worse than a five year old. And I should know. I had one. A very defiant one she was at times, too. Not quite unlike her mother."

She lay on her side facing Myka's stiff figure flat on her back. She reached out for the set jaw and turned Myka's face towards her. "Are we going to talk about this or are you going to continue to act like a petulant child?" She asked softly. "And do remember, I have been keeping up with my kempo."

"Talk about what?" Myka asked turned on her side still not looking at her.

"The big elephant that just left us alone in a very nice room and very subtly implied we should spend the next 18 hours saying good-bye in the most intimate and physical ways possible, which I must admit, I find highly alluring. However, I am not willing to let this go on any longer. Look at me."

Reluctantly, Myka's eyes came up to look into the dark brooding ones. "You look like crap." Myka said.

Helena smiled. "So do you. May I?" She asked reaching her hand out, brushing a finger along Myka's jaw, receiving no objection.

"He said I was being a big jerk." Myka burst out.

"What?" Helena physically backed up in surprise. "Michael?"

"No. Pete." Myka flopped back on her back with a heavy sigh, flinging her arm over her eyes, rambling on. "He said I was being a big jerk and I broke girlfriend rule number 101 or something and I was making a big deal out of nothing and he said…" Myka found herself being softly kissed as the bed shifted beneath her. With little encouragement it became more intense. She opened her eyes to find a smiling Helena looking down at her.

"I've always found that to be the most gratifying and effective ways of getting you to stop talking. As much as it pains me to say this, I agree with Pete." Helena placed her index finger against Myka's lips when she tried to start talking again. "Shh. This is my turn. You'll get your chance. It's time for us both to be grown ups, but the elephant was right about one thing. I do need food, definitely more aspirin and a lot more water. So stay right there."

Helena pointed a finger at Myka who tried to sit up when she got off the bed. She rummaged through Myka's bag until she found the aspirin, tossed multiple bottles of water on the bed for Myka to catch and made up a plate of food, shoving half of it in her moth before she got to the bed. She tossed the aspirin in the back of her throat and guzzled a bottle of water down before sitting on the bed in front of Myka.

"Are you going to keep that all down?" Myka questioned.

"God, I hope so." She passed the plate to Myka and looked at the clock. "Have some fruit while I talk. I'm tired and running out of steam and I really do not want to waste the next 17 hours."

"Helena, you have to stop running out like you did last night."

"I said this was my turn, please. And you are right, and I'm sorry for ending up at Michael's, but it was the safest place I could think of and nothing happened. However, you have made it very clear you have not wanted to share our bed with me for quite some time. And, yes, I was drunk and obtuse and over reacting as well. Neither of us has been fair or even barely civil with the other. I am sorry. I tried to be patient and understanding, but it's ever so difficult when one feels she is being condemned for something she didn't do."

"Helena…"

"Hush. This is what I need to say. I do believe you fell in love with me long before I left. You were hurt when I didn't come back. Michael was a part of that time period and I can understand that you may have felt betrayed and even cheated on. I shared a part of my life with someone other than you. Nearly my whole existence in this century you have been involved in, in some way or another, and obviously, not always under the best of circumstances. When Michael showed up…Well, let's just say I'm very thankful everyone else from my past is from another century and quite dead or we'd have more than a few disgruntled lovers pounding on our door. You truly are my list of firsts, Myka. Well, you weren't my first kiss, but you were the first kiss that ever made me feel alive and worthy, and truly loved."

Myka cocked her head. "You do realize you are diverting somewhat."

"Hush. You do that to me. The diverting part. Anyway, maybe I should have told you about him, but it was such a short period of time...I struggled and fought to forget you and move on in this century. I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again and was too scared to try. I realized that last night when I stumbled through his door. I was so uncertain of myself and had been too scared of losing something I never even gave a chance at having. How I ever found my way back to you I don't know. You were always there. Always. Even according to Claudia. Michael is the one that got caught in the cross fire. "

"But, Claudia..." Helena held up her finger at Myka again, finished off the plate of food and downed another bottle of water. "I really hope you can keep that down."

"Hmm…me too. Now, this brings me to the other issue. The asinine bond. No, I can't feel you, Myka. You can't feel me. I don't know why. We've never experienced each other without it. It's always been there. It hurts, it's scary and I feel empty. It's making us doubt each other. But do you want to know what else I've realized over these days of us not talking? Yes, it's been days. I've had a great deal of time to think…You know I don't sleep well alone…I don't need Pete's inane 'freak' to know that I love you. We are being separated, once again, and I'm not going to be able to feel you with me, but I know I still love you. I love you, Myka. I love you. Not Michael. I love you. I always have and I always will. After all that we have been through and have yet to endure, I love you. You are my priority, Myka. I love you. I trust you to love me. Do you trust me to love you?"

Helena wiped the tears from her face, unsure of when they even started, when she felt strong arms reach around her and pull her down. Solid, sure, even strokes rubbed her back.

"He still loves you."

Helena pulled her head back in order to focus on Myka's face. "What?"

Myka pulled Helena's head back on her shoulder, kissing its top, and laughed. "For all your brilliance you can be really dumb. Why do you think he came to Atlanta? He stumbled over himself and made a decent recovery, but he was not expecting me to answer the door, nor was he anticipating my place in your life. He really did come to our door expecting to be meeting you somewhere, not us. That's probably one of the reasons I over-reacted. And the look of shock and panic on your face? You can't hide that from me. You never have. Despite everything you've told me of your life it was a life from before I was born. It's always been this abstract thing. To suddenly have an actual, live, former love interest show up was a little bit of a shock. You're right that I've been a part of almost your entire life in this century. I never thought of you outside of that existence. In my head you've always just been mine. It was a big kick in the stomach to realize I wasn't. Pete is so right. I am the biggest, fat, jerk girlfriend around."

"Not completely. I've not been the epitome of relationship material myself. Would it really have made that big of a difference if I'd told you about him? You've told me little of your previous relationships, and I've not asked."

"I don't know. We'll never know. There aren't any more lurking around out there, are there?"

"Not that it should matter, but no. I have to admit, though, that it would probably upset me to have one of your old flames show up on our doorstep out of the blue. Pete's told me about most of them anyway."

"I'm going to kill him." Myka felt Helena chuckle against her. "Helena, why are you carrying a gun? I know you have a tesla hidden somewhere."

Myka felt the warm body tense against her. Helena lifted herself up on her arm, caressing Myka's face. "I won't take chances with your life. You are my priority. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I've lost too many in my life to lose you as well. I couldn't save Christina, but if need be I would kill for you." She traced Myka's lips with her fingers, chasing them away with a soft kiss before resuming her previous position. They lay in the cold silence that followed until Helena could stand it no longer. "Do tell me what else I am agreeing with Pete on." Helena groaned rolling onto her back.

Myka rolled with her. Leaning over her, partially raised on her elbow, she brushed away the misplaced hair out of Helena's face and continuing to stroke it.

"Uh, let's see." Myka looked away concentrating in thought before looking back down at the tired face beneath her. "He said I had no right to judge you and you had every right to be upset with me. Ummm…I didn't even know I was in love with you or at least I didn't do anything about it. Oh yeah. Here's the really good part; 'She should have been sleeping with anyone she wanted to. After a century I would have. You know kind of lubricating the old kinks' and then I think I sort of hung up on him."

"Really? 'Lubricating the old kinks?' How crass. I do love Pete, though." Helena said yawning.

"I know you love Pete. Have any old kinks that need lubricating?"

"Stop rubbing my head, you're making me sleepy. I think you've done a fair job of lubricating any 'old' kinks I may have had already and then some. I'd be more concerned about the new ones." She yawned again attempting to pull off Myka's top. Failing, she watched as Myka got up to undress and crawled back to help her strip her clothes off before climbing under the covers. She curled into Myka's side, yawning again, as Myka started to rub her head. "I told you not to rub my head. You know it makes me fall asleep. What about my kinks?"

"I already know your kinks and I think you're proving you're not 36 and can't keep running like the energizer bunny after a night of drinking."

"Oh, do be quiet and let me sleep." She squirmed her head against Myka's neck.

"Helena?"

"Hmm?"

"I do trust you to love me."

"I know."

* * *

Helena woke up with a start, panting in terror, hair plastered to her forehead. She turned on the bedside lamp, illuminating the new surroundings. Myka was nowhere to be seen. The drapes were drawn, but the bathroom light was on, the door half closed allowing that constant sliver of light into the darkness that always seemed to invade her consciousness. She jumped out of bed to open the door to an empty bathroom, a damp towel hanging from a hook. She grabbed one of the new phones Michael had left behind on the table.

"Where is she?" Helena demanded.

"_Hello to you, too. Everything is fine and under control. She's doing a little shopping."_

"Shopping? Are you serious?" Helena ran her hand through her damp hair.

"_Yes, my dear. I don't think you'll complain. I'd say she was shopping for you."_

"What?"

"_Everything is fine. Go take a shower. You'll feel better. I expect she will be back shortly. I've got her, Helena. Now take the shower and order room service. I recommend champagne. Would you like me to order for you?_"

"You really are an ass." Helena hung up on him and threw the phone into the chair on her way to the shower.

Myka opened the door to the room to find Helena perched up in the window dressed in a white robe, water droplets beading at the ends of her hair to be sucked into the back of the robe. She was gazing into the plaza below, now turning a golden hue with the falling sun. Tourists darted around a group of children kicking a soccer ball around with no apparent rules.

"Have a good nap?" Myka set the few items in her hands down before walking into the bathroom, grabbed a towel, leaving the light on. "Helena?" She walked up behind Helena at the window, placed the towel over the wet head gently rubbing the excess moisture out. She dropped the towel and leaned her chin on the slender shoulder to watch the activity below. "You really need to dry your head. Are you okay?" She asked softly.

"Hmm? Yes." Helena answered distracted, leaning back into Myka's warmth. "I wish you'd left me a note. I was worried when I woke up and discovered you'd left."

"I'd hoped to get back before you woke up. I'm sorry. I should have left you a note. I called Michael first and he agreed to the trip. He's very good." She pushed Helena forward slightly, gaining free access to the side of her neck placing a row of kisses up to her ear.

"Mmmm. Yes, he is." Helena breathed sharply, tilting her head further for Myka. "I watched you cross the plaza. Only I would have known he was around because I know how he operates. Our adversary is sloppy. Why have they not finished this?"

"Right now, I don't really care." Myka whispered. Helena tried to lean back against Myka forgetting her precarious seat. She lost her seat falling back into Myka knocking her down on the floor, landing heavily on top of her former backrest. Myka grunted pushing her off to the side as she tried to sit up. "So much for that moment. I'd think with all that kempo of yours you'd be a little more graceful."

Helena laughed laying flat on her back with Myka holding herself above her. "Indeed. Yet someone has a very good way of distracting me and I can become a bit unbalanced at times. You wouldn't happen to know who that may be, would you?" She asked, wrapping her arms around Myka's neck and pulling her down, kissing her deeply. "Mmmm. I think I found her." She whispered, going back for seconds.

They both startled at the knock on the door. "Expecting someone?" Myka asked in all seriousness.

"The bad guys don't knock often." Helena crawled out from underneath Myka to answer the door. "I ordered up food and drink when I saw you crossing the plaza per an elephant's suggestion. I have no intention of leaving the four walls of this room, especially now, and I am trying my best to ignore the ticking clock."

"You know, sometimes you talk too much." Myka picked herself up off the floor, grabbing Helena from behind before she got to the door turning her around for a last kiss. "You're right. That is an effective way to shut someone up." She left Helena standing recovering while she signed for the food.

Myka finished with the food and turned her head back to find Helena leaning against the wall, her robe partially undone, and smirked. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

Helena pushed herself off the wall and stalked towards Myka. Dropping her robe half way across the room, never missing a step, she guided Myka backwards to the bed where she fell into the mass of coverings bunched up from their earlier nap. "That depends. Are you the cat and do you remember how to scream?" Helena asked tugging on the bottom of Myka's shirt.

"I think I'm about to find out."

* * *

"Do you plan on sitting there all day or are you going to go back in?"

"Hey, Mrs. F." Claudia gave a half-hearted wave to the voice behind her. "I can't get in anymore. Well, I get zapped and that's not all it's cracked up to be. I'm just thinking. I know there is more in there than what's inventoried."

"Much of HG's personal effects were placed in there for storage, as was Myka's when they moved. She didn't want it, so the Regent's decided to keep it for her. I doubt she even knows it's there. Nor Myka."

"I just don't get it? It's so erratic. I know something is going on with them, but they aren't talking."

"It seems to me you've left them out of it, haven't you?"

"It's not their problem anymore. They left." Claudia placed her chin on her knees tracing a crack on the floor with her middle finger.

"You told them they needed to leave. They didn't leave you, Claudia. They needed to leave the safety of these walls to discover their own path. You are right about one thing. Some things need to fix themselves. 'Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof.' Khalil Gibran. You need to read more, Claudia. One never truly leaves the warehouse. You'll have help soon."

"Huh?" Claudia spun around on her butt. "Why do I bother? I know she's not going to be there."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

Nor do I have any affiliation to Dr. Who. Just a great deal of admiration and appreciation to a great cast and crew with a great imagination that challenges my intellect.

**A/N: **Thank you for your comments and reviews. I really do appreciate the feedback. Please don't get frustrated if it appears I am not listening. I mostly work backwards and forwards and then in between and...well, you get the idea. It's not unusual for the ending to be left waiting to be caught up to! Quite often I find myself having to reread what you are reviewing because I'm way ahead of what I've posted and I can't remember where you have stopped. This is a GOOD thing. Keeps me in line. I try to clarify confusing parts when I can. Often I've already addressed some of your concerns, you just don't know it yet. I find this especially gratifying as it means I've left you wondering, yet I'm leading you somewhere in the right direction and it keeps me from getting lost. It's really great fun to hear from you.

-Keep crying, keep laughing. Without one, you can't have the other.

* * *

Claudia dragged herself into the living room bending over the back of the sofa to fall into a heap next to Steve.

"That was graceful. What's up?" He hit the pause button.

"Artie's been following me like a mother hen. I can't take it anymore. Please just shoot me now."

"Can't. You have a problem to fix, Oh Great Warehouse Weather Wizard."

"Ha, ha. What episode are you watching?" She asked, recognizing the blue police box.

"'Blink'. I can start it over. Sally just ducked." Steve looked down at the heap next to him, legs hanging over the end of the side and her head now on his lap. Her forehead scrunched up in thought. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Isn't that one of HG's favorite? I think the weeping angels were the only thing that really kind of freaked her out. When did we last get anything from them anyway?"

"I don't know. It's not like they're consistent. Didn't Pete get a call from Myka?"

"Yeah. That really helped my case with Artie. Pete didn't really say much except they were fighting. Like that's never happened before."

"Hmmm." Steve nodded. "So, am I starting this starting over or what?"

"No. I'm beat." She dragged herself up off the sofa. "I need to make some calls. How are Pete's plans for Christmas?"

"Assuming there are no curiosities," he smiled, "and the guests of honor show up, all good to go. Joshua still coming?"

"I think so. Guess those guest houses weren't such a bad idea after all. We're going to need them for Pete's party. If only we could fill the remodeled one again."

"Let it go, Claud. It was their decision. Things happen for a reason." He hit the play button.

"Whatever." She stomped up the stairs pulling out her phone.

"Hey, Claud?" He called from the sofa.

"Yeah?"

"Don't blink."

* * *

"Hold that thought." Myka left her with an oxygen depleting kiss, leaving her flushed and panting alone in the middle of the bed.

"What?" Helena's eyes flew open in shock. "Bloody…! I can't believe you just did that. This isn't really a thought we're talking about here, Myka. There isn't actually even much talking involved, let alone thoughts!" She pushed herself up staring in disbelief at the closed bathroom door.

"Myka?" Helena was leaning back on her elbows, still panting when Myka came out of the bathroom.

"If you don't want to, it's okay." She turned around starting to go back into the bathroom.

"Myka, stop. It's okay." She said softly patting the bed. "You've read the journals and we've discussed – a lot. You're well aware I have no qualms. None at all." She smiled, trying to calm Myka's obvious uncertainty.

"We've talked about it."

"Yes, we have. So, this is what Michael meant by your shopping trip." Helena added softly, humor in her voice. "Please, come here. It doesn't do either of us any good with you standing way over there and you've been most attentive, aside from the 'let's talk about it so I don't surprise you by leaving you hanging on the edge in agony while I get dressed in the bathroom and walk out in all my glory' part."

"It's not funny."

"I'm not laughing, darling. I'm merely somewhat, surprised, and not just a bit frustrated thanks to your well honed skills, and if you don't get back in this bed right now, I'm going to have to finish what you started and I very much prefer your touch to my own. So, for the love of God, get over here because you've obviously got some ideas of your own, which I am more than anxious to indulge. Not to mention the fact that I seem to be doing a lot of talking right now, which though not unusual, but perhaps just a little bit excessive, seems inappropriate at the moment and I would much rather be not talking and you know a very good way of getting me to stop…"

Myka had taken the last few uncertain steps towards the bed during the blathering and pushed Helena down into the jumble of bed covers, covering her mouth with her own. Helena pushed her back slightly, needing air. "Yes. Just like that." She panted. "Myka, could we maybe just…Oh, yes, please…take a step back." She took three deep breaths exhaling slowly and unevenly. "I just need you to…Oh, God…Please, stop moving." Myka unknowingly kept rubbing against her inner thighs.

"I'm sorry. I'm not doing this right." Myka tried to roll off, but Helena grabbed her by the hips firmly.

"No. Please, stop moving. Just, stay right where you are." She closed her eyes against the new sensations taking hold in her lower depths. "Okay. A step back. Lean back on your knees...away from me." Myka did as requested looking hurt.

"You're nervous? God, I am really messing this up, aren't I? I really don't know what I'm doing. I just wanted...I mean, we've talked about it and I thought…"

Helena sat up and kneeled before Myka, stopping her with a long kiss before pulling Myka's forehead to her own. "My sweet Myka. You are fine. I'm not nervous, per se. I am a wee bit unprepared, that's all. And every time you touch me it is a bit over stimulating. You just are not aware that you are indeed touching me."

"I don't know what I'm doing." Myka pleaded.

"Sweetheart, that's okay. I assure you, you can not disappoint me. Let's just slow down. You are a nervous wreck. There is no need to be. It's me, Myka. Just me. Here." She grabbed Myka's hand pulling it between her legs, swallowing hard. "Does that feel like I'm not ready for this?"

"Holy crap!" Myka's eyes widened. "I've never done this before."

"I know, but I have. Granted, not in a very, very long time. Well over a century to be exact." She smiled up at the hesitant face kissing the tip of Myka's nose. "Like everything else, we just take it one step at a time and we go slow. We've talked about this. You know the rule; if you are not comfortable, then we stop and that's okay. Obviously, you trust me enough to introduce something new and I am far from complaining. I trust you to love me, Myka." She took Myka's hand again, placing it against the wetness awaiting her. "Only trust creates that in me."

"Now what?" Myka implored.

Helena took her face gently in both hands, running her right thumb across her cheekbone, asking slowly and quietly, "Myka? Are you okay with this?"

"Well, yeah, but…" Myka stuttered.

"Then kiss me." Helena didn't wait or give Myka time to back away, pulling her face towards her. She took her time, memorizing every taste and touch of her lover's mouth. She dug her hands in loose curls, treasuring every bump and deviation of her scalp, following a path of tendons to shoulders, her thumb circling the top of her shoulder and slowly traveling down her arms to finally hold her hands.

"Come with me." Helena whispered in her ear. With a slight tug on Myka's hand, she slowly leaned back onto the bed, accepting her fully between her spread knees. Holding her tightly, she nibbled her way back to Myka's ear. "Are you still okay?"

Myka pressed against her gently, kissing a path across her collarbone, sucking on the slight rise of the fracture. She buried her hands in the dark hair, mimicking Helena's earlier exploration.

"Myka?" Helena managed between ragged breaths. "Nature does wondrous things, but in this particular…"

"Drawer. Next to the Bible." Myka lifted her head smiling, leaning over to open the drawer and grabbing the lubricant. "Seemed appropriate." She sat up taking Helena's right hand, pouring a generous amount into her hand. "Please? I don't know how much longer I can wait."

Helena smiled up at the still apprehensive face. She reached down between them, applying the fluid to the dildo wiping the excess off along the length of Myka's back and shoulder. "Not quite so much next time." She said softly. Myka's face broke at the comment, but melted away with the kiss that followed.

"I don't know…"

"Your fine." Helena choked out. She reached between them again guiding her to her dripping center. "Just go easy." Myka pressed in the tip and stopped. "That's it…A little more…And again."

"I don't think I can…"

"Then don't." Helena exhaled, groaning as Myka drove the full length of the dildo home.

"I don't know…"

"Oh, yes, you do!" Helena rose to meet the next thrust, grabbing the headboard with her right hand, her knuckles turning white. "Don't you dare hold back on me now." She met each thrust, her body demanding more until she curled into the dazed body above her, shuddering. She'd let go of the headboard, clawing the wet, slick shoulders as her head fell backwards, swearing at the sudden pain of the deep bite in the crook of her neck. They fell to the bed, barely able to catch air. Myka started to pull out. "Not yet." Helena begged; hugging her tightly, warm irregular air caressing the wound on her neck, she waited for the calm to follow. "Okay." She whispered.

Myka rolled over, eyes wide open staring at the sliver of light across the ceiling from the bathroom. "Oh, my God. Why did I wait so long?"

Helena followed her close behind like a magnet. She chuckled into the still moist neck, her fingers tracing invisible fractures to Myka's reawakening along her ribs. "You weren't ready and had no motive presented to you to pursue." Helena sat up on her knees. "Let me help you." Setting the toy aside, she licked the remaining perspiration pooled in Myka's navel, continuing to her breasts. She found her head being pulled up gently, examined by bright greens eyes.

Helena whined her complaint. "Darling, I love your breasts. They are absolutely magnificent. So, why is my mouth up here and not otherwise occupied?"

Myka searched the face above her. "What do you mean I had no motive before?" She asked seriously.

"Dear, I had other things in mind just now, that I know from experience, will not take long in succeeding at right now. So if we can just hold off…"

"You're right. It won't take long at all and I'm pretty sure that's not going to change one thing...Did I hurt you?"

Helena kissed her softly. "No, darling, you didn't. Well, aside from your vampire act," she rubbed the growing welt on the side of her neck, "which I believe will take some time to heal…oh, lovely. Vanessa is going to show me no mercy." Helena quickly kissed the parted lips again, smiling.

"What motive are you talking about?" Myka persisted.

Helena rolled onto her back sighing, regretting the timing of her comment. "Please, come here."

She stretched out her arm, awaiting Myka to move into its protective shield, holding her tightly. "Think about the recent events in our lives and the effects they have had on us. Michael threw a huge, what did Pete say that one time? Ah, yes, a huge curve ball. I'll never understand where these expressions come from."

"Helena?"

"Sorry. Somewhere, somehow, in some primitive sense of the human psyche, you needed to stake your claim on me as much as I needed you to. I am yours. Really, I commend you. I've rarely found that, uh, position to be quite so successful."

"Where do you come up with this? I don't know that I like the way that all sounded. It's so…base. "

"I had a great deal of time to think about a great deal of many things if you recall. Apparently, you were not listening very closely. From what I heard, neither of us found the experience to be objectionable. Quite the opposite I'd say." Helena kissed the top of Myka's head. "I don't consider myself a piece of property. There is much more to it than that and you know it."

"So, if Michael never showed up on our doorstep, this wouldn't have happened." Myka stated blandly.

Helena sighed deeply, getting frustrated. "Don't analyze it. You were already very curious and more than ready. I came very close to doing a little shopping of my own long before Michael arrived. Michael was a catalyst for you. You should know me well enough by now to know that if I had any doubts where this new adventure of yours arose from, it would not have happened. Love and trust. That is the key, love."

"Are you sure?" Myka asked getting up to straddle her hips.

"Very. I've never allowed anyone but you control." She brushed Myka's hair back smiling and raised her knee. "Are we quite done with this conversation? Because I'd really like to get back to…" She moaned as Myka pressed into her thigh. "Yes. That."

* * *

"What were you watching in the plaza?" She mumbled into Helena's back. She traced the jagged scar along her shoulder blade. She found Helena dozing beneath her with her head resting on her crossed arms to be a much more comforting pillow at the moment.

"Hmmm?" Helena rubbed her nose and exposed eye.

"When I walked in the room today, you were staring very intently out the window. Why?"

"What?" Helena asked, bewildered by this sudden change of their present comfortable world. She shifted, forcing Myka to slide off to the side and spoon her from behind. Missing the body heat that had been surrounding her, she kicked her feet violently to loosen the sheet and pulled it up over them. "You do get quiet heavy sometimes."'

Myka leaned over, pulling the long hair aside, whispering in her ear. "So do you."

"I was waiting for you and observing Mr. Sloppy try to follow you. He lost sight of you twice and won't be an issue in the morning." She grumbled.

"I was already in the building and standing behind you. Do you want to have a child?" Myka blurted out. She felt the immediate change in the body from its previous relaxed state.

"You certainly are very conversationally inclined tonight or rather this morning, aren't you? You do realize we've barely slept and it's two am? Two am. Bloody Hell, we are the curse."

"Helena, stop brushing this off. You always do."

"Why must we talk about it now?"

"Because I want to know and we never talk about it." Myka rolled away from Helena. "Pete's right. We live with a ghost."

"Pete has no right to make judgments upon things about which he knows nothing." Helena responded fiercely.

"Think I've heard something like that before." She mumbled under her breath. Myka touched the scarred shoulder, pulling Helena towards her. "I'm not talking to your back. Pete wasn't making a judgment. He made a suggestion and I think he's right. So, answer me for once on this. Do you want to have a child?"

"I'm too old. As you keep pointing out, I'm not actually 36. I guess that would be 37 now."

"Lots of women your age have kids. It's not as easy and that's why Vanessa said sooner than later, but it's not impossible. She didn't see any reason not to. And who said you had to be the one to have it?"

"That was at least a year ago. A lot has happened since then. These women you refer to were not born in 1866 and have had over thirty years of modern health care that I have not. In many ways it's a miracle I survived one pregnancy. Oh, and let us not forget that whole 100 years of bronze."

They lay in silence, the words dripping painfully from the ceiling, engulfing them.

Helena turned her head towards Myka. "Do you want a child? You've never seemed the least bit interested. You don't even seem to really like them much from what I've seen. You complain about story time at the library and cringe in the grocery."

"Like you said, a lot has happened. A year ago I would have said no frakking way. Actually, I think I basically kind of did say that. I just don't want us to be making excuses because we're scared. It used to be the job and the warehouse. Well, here we are, supposedly away from the warehouse and finding a new life and not much safer for it. Let's face it; anyone takes on a big risk with a child. I could get hit by a bus or you could fall off of a cliff."

Helena faced Myka, befuddled. "A cliff?"

"Well, you know, you do have a way of pissing Pete off and Artie…we all know how that goes." Myka smiled at her.

"Ha, ha." Helena stuck her tongue out at her.

"Fine. I've been thinking about it, okay? If you were involved, then yeah, I'm kind of interested."

"Interested? There's a great deal more to it than being interested." Helena shook her head, eyes wide.

"What I mean is, no, I never really saw myself as a mother. But with you, it seems maybe, kinda, sorta, right. As long as Artie isn't the father."

"Artie? What would ever make you think of him?" Helena was appalled.

"I don't know. I just really can't imagine your eyes with those eyebrows."

"Darling, when is the last time you looked at a picture of Charles? It seems bushy eyebrows are already in my genes."

"Better not to take the chance then." Myka laughed at Helena's horrified expression.

"Do you really think this is the best time to make this decision? Why did you even bring it up?" Helena turned her back to Myka, again. Myka followed, leaning over her.

"I don't want to make a decision about it. We just never talk about it at all, and I'm tired of ignoring it. It's another elephant. It's a night for elephants, okay? Or as Claudia would say, heffalumps and woozles. I know that expression on your face. You were watching the kids playing soccer. I see you when there are kids around. I know you go to the children's section in the library when you meet me for lunch on Saturdays, and it's not for Dr. Seuss. You sit and watch, and you smile. I just don't know if you're looking into the past or the future. Do you see a ghost or a future?" Helena lay still in silence.

"I guess only you can answer that." Myka curled up behind her, nuzzling the back of her neck for comfort. "I'm sorry. I should have left it alone."

"No, Myka, don't be sorry. No more heffalumps and woozles. I've had quite enough of those these past few days and am much happier leaving them to books. I merely have no answer for you. For now, can we stay in the present? I do think at this point we should give Vanessa more than just a few marks to comment on."

"Evading..." Myka stroked the warm cheek, finding the moisture betrayed by the slight tremor in the voice.

"Only that of what the sunlight will bring. Nothing more."

* * *

Artie grabbed a Danish from the counter and sat across from Claudia.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have a problem to fix?"

"It's not really a problem so much as it is an issue, Artie. Besides, I don't think it's something I can fix and Mrs. F. is being way too cryptic." She drained her coffee getting up to fill it again.

"That's Mrs. Frederic. I fail to see the difference between problem and issue and just how much coffee have you had any way?"

"I was up making phone calls until midnight trying to fix your 'problem', so give me a break."

"Fine. I'll give you a break. Go over to the warehouse and give this to Steve." He handed him an envelope. "I have a turkey to cook. Send Steve back here. His job is cooking today and helping Abigail keep Pete's paws out of the food. He seems to think he is the designated taste tester."

Claudia looked at the envelope. "Hey, this is HG's handwriting."

"Must have gotten lost in the mail. He can share it with us over dinner. Now go."

"Yeah, whatever. When's the Doc going to get here? You could be a little nicer."

"She's not. She was called away for some unexpected surgery somewhere. Couldn't say anything else. So go fix that problem."

"Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Grumpy."

* * *

Helena groaned at the sudden loss of the warm comfort she'd wrapped herself around in her sleep. Her last memories were that of being encased in long, strong, damp arms, while still coming down from an endorphin surged high. Her sleep muddled brain cleared quickly hearing Myka's voice, cold and annoyed.

"Yeah?"

"_It's four o'clock. You have less than an hour. I'll come directly to your door. I suggest you take separate showers."_

"Fine. We'll be ready. Am I supposed to thank you for the call?"

"_I thought you'd need a wake-up call after that shopping trip. Did she enjoy you're surprise? I can only imagine how much she enjoyed it. I never got the chance."_

"She's right. You are an ass." Myka threw the phone across the room.

"Let me guess. Michael." Helena was sitting up trying desperately to kick her legs free of the twisted sheet again and rubbing the residual scratchiness from lack of sleep out of her eyes.

Myka fell back on the bed face first, mumbling into a pillow. "He thought we'd need a wake-up call."

Finally free of her bindings, Helena straddled Myka, laying kisses down her spine. "I always hated it when he was right." She rested her full weight down on the length of the sex infused body beneath her, resting her head on Myka's shoulder, breathing in deeply. "God, I love how you smell in the morning. Did you know the sense of smell is thought to be the strongest of memories?" She licked the expanse between the shoulder blades, soothing the red inflamed streaks she'd left behind. "Followed by taste."

"Sweet talk, and that tongue of yours, will get you anywhere and everywhere and you know it. We need to shower and be ready in less than an hour." She added sadly pulling her arms up under her head.

"Indeed, I do. However, it's not sweet talk when it's true, and no amount of showering is going to mask the smell of sex in this room." Helena chuckled, burying her face deep in Myka's neck, inhaling deeply once more. She squealed in surprise as Myka bucked her off, suddenly finding their positions reversed, her arms held firmly to the bed.

"I'm not actually clear how you managed that, but…Oh, God…" Myka started paying far too much attention to the back of her neck. "That's not fair." She breathed, pushing her head into the pillow.

"It seemed fair last night. Or was it this morning?" Myka bit down one last time before rolling off with great difficulty. "Shower. . And very cold. Alone. Definitely." She jumped off the bed leaving Helena on her stomach, growling in frustration into the pillow.

"I hate you!" She yelled at the bathroom door.

Myka poked her head out of the bathroom quickly, waiting for the water to warm up. "The real problem is you really, really, REALLY don't hate me and that damned neck of yours is the serpent's apple."

"That's two problems, you dolt! Learn to count!" Helena threw a pillow at the bathroom door. "That really didn't make this any easier." She whispered into her knees, tears dropping into her lap.

* * *

"I can't believe we're doing this, again. This is why we left!" Myka zipped up her bag throwing it towards the door.

"I know." Helena said quietly with little emotion and maneuvered around the room quietly, collecting the few items she had.

"Are we going to spend the rest of our lives with you dancing around the underworld? How many enemies do you have?" Myka sat on the bed and landed heavily on her back among the mass of covers she'd retrieved from the floor earlier and thrown in the middle.

"I don't know." Helena sat in the chair rubbing her temples, once again fighting off the new pounding in her head.

"I'm going to be stuck in the stupid warehouse with stupid Pete, again, not knowing where you are, again. Do you have any idea what that is like, Helena? Every night I try to sleep in a cold bed. Every morning I wake up in a cold bed. Every day I wonder where you are. Even you don't know where you are going."

"I know." She said simply.

"I miss your damned cold feet." Myka threw a pillow at her.

She remained impassive, ignoring the pillow now on the floor. "I know."

"You know. Is there anything you don't know? My God, Helena. How can you just sit there? Why can't you just come with me? Why can't you have the surgery later?"

"Myka, I don't have a choice." She closed her eyes against the frustration being thrown at her, running her hand through her hair.

"You don't have a choice. Really? That's your answer? The Regent's are still pulling your strings. That's why we left the warehouse. You wanted to leave it behind you. Yet, here we are in the place we finally became us and are now being pulled away from each other because of the Regents."

Helena stood up abruptly, hugging herself. "Why are we doing this? I don't want to argue with you anymore. It's done." She looked over at the tense body on the bed, legs hanging off the end. "Do you really think this is any easier for me? I'm not doing this because of the Regent's, Myka. I'm doing it for you!"

Myka sat up and stared at her dumb founded.

"If you want to do something for me, than please, come with me. It's almost Christmas for Christ's sake. Pete's planned the whole thing just for us. Are you going to even be there? How soon after this stupid surgery are they bringing you back to me? When do I finally get you for Christmas? We've never been together on Christmas."

"I don't know." She'd gone over to the window, staring at the dimly lit plaza imagining the children playing in the center again. Myka came to stand in front of her, pulling her chin to look at her.

"Do you even know what today is?"

"Today? What's so special about today?" Confused, she dug deep in the recesses of her mind for something she'd missed during the stress of the past few days.

"It's Thanksgiving, Helena. Thanksgiving Day." It was a blank statement.

"I'm sorry, Myka. That's not exactly a holiday that remains in the forefront of my mind."

"It's Thanksgiving Day. I was looking forward to today because I was so thankful to have your cold feet back under me. Instead, you're being taken away from me. I'm really not sure if you're being taken away or you're leaving me." Hurt and feeling lost, Myka wiped her nose and eyes, determined to not lose her control now.

The knock on the door stopped them. Helena shoved the last of her belongings in her bag while Myka opened the door.

Michael's serious face shoved itself through the opening. "Let's go, ladies. Your transport is waiting and we don't have a lot of time. I need you on that tarmac before sunrise." He felt the tension in the room and looked from one face to another. "You might want to consider opening up a window next time."

"Ass." Myka said picking her bag up and leading the way.

"Come on. Let's go. Butch up, Helena!" He smirked.

She physically rammed him with her shoulder on the way out the door. "In this particular situation I believe I have more balls than you could ever dream of."

"You're probably right." He mumbled, face falling as he shut the door.

* * *

"Myka, you need to get on that plane. Now." Helena shouted to her over the noise on the tarmac. "You have my ring and locket? I don't want them lost in some bloody hospital."

"Of course I have them. Why can't you just wait? Give them time to clear everything up. I should be with you. I want to be with you. They're just thugs, not geniuses."

"It has to be now. You need to go to the warehouse. It's the only place you will be safe. They might just be thugs, but they are very pissed off and with good reason."

"I don't understand."

Helena grabbed her arm. "Myka, you are and always will be my priority. I love you. I have to go now." Helena grabbed her tightly one more time, for just one more kiss. "I love you. Don't forget that." Helena turned and ran off to the helicopter where Michael was waiting for her.

Myka stood frozen, someone grasping her arm. Helena turned back one more time, a face of pure panic and terror on her face, before getting into the helicopter. "Helena!"

"Agent Bering, we need you on the plane. Please." A voice spoke in her ear as the helicopter took off in the distance.

* * *

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no." Claudia jumped up from the chair and ran out the door to the deck, the door slamming behind her.

Steve looked up to see where she was headed. One look was all he needed. He followed right on her heels as she ran down the stairs two and three at a time.

"Claudia! When did we start having mini-tornadoes?" He ran behind her through the maze of aisles.

"Like thirty seconds ago. Ouch!" She jumped back from the unlocked gate at a strong discharge. "Shit. This is not good, Steve."

"Really? I don't think I'd have figured that out, but thanks for the update."

"Have you tried calling them?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Yeah. I just get voice mail. I stopped leaving messages around midnight. Happy Thanksgiving, Steve."

* * *

"Helena, how nice to see you. Dr. Jordan should be waiting for you. Ready to get some nerves back? I'm missing a great dinner for this. Where's Myka?"

"Vanessa, always a pleasure. I am truly sorry about the dinner. Myka made a point of reminding me of the significance of this day. She won't be with me this time." Helena turned to Michael and asked shortly. "Did you bring the papers?"

"Yes." He handed her a file and a pen. "Do you really think this is necessary?"

"You don't? How long until we land?" She glared at him, her eyes burning holes through his own. He gracefully looked away.

"A few hours, I'm not sure." Michael answered staring straight ahead of him.

"Helena, I don't understand. Why isn't Myka coming? We can wait." Vanessa asked, confused.

"She's being targeted to hurt me. She's being taken to the warehouse where she will be safest while I get this blasted hand fixed." Helena snapped, furiously writing.

"So, we hold off on the surgery. I'm not really sure why it is you're pushing it through like this as it is."

"I'm not. The Holy Regents are. Care to explain, Michael?" Helena continued writing, not looking up. "Apparently, the good doctor has not been thoroughly briefed on the complexity of this surgery that is about to take place on my hand. Or shall I do it for you?"

"How long have you known, Helena?" He glanced at her quickly before looking at Vanessa's confused face.

"When do you think, you bloody bastard? Since your pep talk in the hotel room. I knew something was a foot when you left me to shower that morning. You can be so bloody stupid sometimes. I know you better than you ever gave me credit for. Another reason I never slept with you."

"Eighteen hours." She paused, her pen suspended, jaw set, still not looking at him. "That was the best you could do?" She finished her work, signed the bottom with her usual flourish and handed it to him. She smiled. "What fun it would have been to sign that left-handed. Your turn." She commanded coldly, taking the paperwork back after he provided his own signature.

"I think it's time to fill in the doctor and that would be me. What the Hell is going on?" Vanessa demanded.

"Doctor," Michael began, "We are in the process of 'containing' a threat to Myka and Helena, and by association, myself. She has been the target of a group that Helena and I had dealings with in the past and they are seeking their revenge by trying to harm Myka. She has been taken to the warehouse, out of harm's way, until we can make our final move while Helena gets her hand fixed."

Helena hesitated before handing the confused doctor the file of papers, tears finally giving way with her next request. "Vanessa, I am sorry to have to ask this of you, but I need you to sign this for me, as a witness, please."

"What is this?" Vanessa asked without looking.

Helena handed her a sealed envelope. "Please see Myka gets this when you get back to the States. While no one can guarantee my safety, at least I can Myka's. She has been removed from the stratagem which has left me as the sole factor. You could say I am the cheese."

Vanessa looked at her oddly, then the papers in front of her. "I'm sorry, but I don't seem to be following."

"It's my last will and testament. I'm the bloody bait."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N:** Thank you for your comments and reviews. I really do appreciate the feedback. Please don't get frustrated if it appears I am not listening. I mostly work backwards and forwards and then in between and...Well, you get the idea. It's not unusual for the ending to be left waiting to be caught up to! Quite often I find myself having to reread what you are reviewing because I'm way ahead of what I've posted and I can't remember where you have stopped. This is a GOOD thing. Keeps me in line. I try to clarify confusing parts when I can. Often I've already addressed some of your concerns; you just don't know it yet. I find this especially gratifying as it means I've left you wondering, yet I'm leading you somewhere in the right direction and it keeps me from getting lost. It's really great fun to hear from you.

* * *

"So are you going to share that letter with us or what?" Claudia kept pestering Steve during dinner. He'd remained silent since he read it earlier in the day at the warehouse.

"I'm telling you there is nothing to share. She wrote it awhile ago. Like Artie said, it must have gotten lost in the mail. Half of it was illegible because it got wet."

"We really need to get her water proof ink for that stupid pen of hers. Why can't she use a normal pen like the rest of us?"

Pete broke out in laughter, filling his plate with seconds. "Are you even listening to yourself, Claudia? Can you really see HG using anything besides a fountain pen by choice? Besides, Myka gave it to her for her birthday. Who knew she could be so sentimental. One day she's trying to blow up the world, the next she turns into a sap, and no one in this room tells her I just said that." He pointed his fork around the table. "Just buy her the ink."

"Fine." Claudia gave up. "Now what did she say, Steve?"

"Guy's I'm telling you…"

Abigail interrupted. "Steve, do you think you are going to get any peace? Pass me the stuffing too, please, before Yogi here finishes it off preparing for the first snow. Now what did she say?"

Steve looked up to see four eager faces staring at him.

He sighed throwing his napkin down to pull the letter out of his back pocket.

_Steve,_

_ We are leaving tonight for destinations unknown. It shall prove to be an interesting trip. I received an unwelcome guest from the past. How strange to think that in the few years I've been here, I'm already collecting a past. Myka and I_, this is where it gets all messy, blah, blah, blah, and then_, heading for London first and then probably Spain. We will send you postcards. Surgery is still on the board and I am anxious to be done with it. We will be sporadically available so do not get concerned if you do not hear from us._

_-HG_

"See. Like I said, it's a lot of nothing." He crumpled up the letter throwing it in the middle of the table. "Go nuts. It's not very informative and we already know all of it at this point."

Artie placed his glasses on the table. "Any progress on your issue, Claudia?" He turned his head slowly to look at her.

"Why is it all my issue? You all work here too?"

"That would be a 'no', then." He stated.

"Yeah. It's a big fat no."

* * *

Vanessa continued her pre-surgical exam in silence. Helena sat emotionless, for the first time not complaining about anything Vanessa needed to do.

"You are in very little danger. The Regents will have made sure of that." Helena broke the icy silence.

"My job doesn't make me anymore immune to danger. I'm no fool. The Regents think this is your idea." Vanessa stepped back, putting her stethoscope in her pocket, crossing her arms.

Helena jerked her head up at that comment and then relaxed with a resigned sigh. "Michael always did lie to get what he wanted. One of the main reasons I refused to work with him anymore. I couldn't trust him. I should have known. I was too worried about Myka, and he knew that. He used it against me. When did I get so blind? Regardless, it is the best way to get this over with. We won't be free until it is."

"So, what is the plan? Do you even know?" Vanessa sat down on the stool looking up at the woman on the exam table.

"I can only guess. Michael has been rather surreptitious so far regarding the whole matter." Helena shrugged. "Not knowing what the outside plan is to strike the source of the threat, I am forced to play along for now. Since I am now here for surgery, as are you, Dr. Jordan and the rest of the medical staff, a coordinated strike is most likely in place and waiting. They need to draw them out. And they will. They are not the brightest foe, but organized none the less."

"Yet, you are concerned enough to update legal documents."

"I would be foolish not to, do you not agree? I have a reason to do so now. Myka." She smiled sadly. "I never have before. There has been no need for me to have a will in this century until I got the flu, Vanessa. I had no ties to be concerned with. I was happy enough to let the Regents do as they chose. It's the same reason you have updated documents before this surgery, as you always have. This time, there just happens to be a risk beyond a surgical one."

"Do you think you are in that much danger?"

"I know Michael well enough to know he will do whatever he needs to keep me safe, whatever else I may think of him personally. The staff is well protected. I'd anticipate more risk after the surgery when you are far gone and comfortable at home. Myka? I couldn't take that chance."

Vanessa reverted to spinning back and forth on the stool during their conversation and was now looking at the floor, getting dizzy and stopped in the silence. The bright artificial lighting gave her patient a false pallor.

"Vanessa," Helena broke the sharp silence again, "Since you are here, and I am being examined, do you think we could have that pre-pregnancy discussion and exam? I realize it is not the normal timing for such a request."

Vanessa pushed the stool back in surprise. "Change of plans? Don't you think Myka should be included in this?"

"If we get to that point, of course. We have not made any decisions. She has, however, made some valid points recently that are worthy of my consideration. I would prefer to be as well informed as possible and have all the facts presented to me before we continue with any further discussion. I may be the bait, but I have no intention of sitting around waiting for someone else to use me. I promised Myka I would always do my best to make sure I came home. I intend to keep that promise. Now, let's get this horrid exam over with so we can talk. It appears we have time on our hands and I have many questions. Honestly, Vanessa, the thought of childbirth terrifies me. It was not entirely the most wholesome experiences for me. I consider myself rather fortunate."

"Does Myka know this?"

"No. Not yet. She will."

"Well, things have changed a lot since the 19th century. Let's see if I can ease some of those fears." She took Helena's hand and gave it a slight comforting squeeze. "Okay. You know the routine, and from the looks of Myka's dental records, she made some very strong points. That neck is going to take some time to heal." Vanessa smiled for the first time since Helena boarded the helicopter.

"Lovely. I'm surprised it took you this long to point that out." Helena flopped down on the exam table for the second time.

"I've held back. The circumstances caught me a little off guard. I promise to show you no mercy now. Let me go get what I need and you can tell me all about those wounds of yours." Vanessa laughed on her way to the door.

"Not bloody likely!"

* * *

"No dude, seriously, you should have seen him. Pete is like the king of Black Friday. He's a shopping fiend! We hit the mall and he pulls out this list and a map, and has a complete military operation laid out. I swear he had GPS coordinates. We were done by noon. It was awesome!" Claudia's laughter rang throughout the B & B. She sat in the side chair with her legs over the edge, her popcorn bowl on her stomach precariously bouncing with every belly laugh.

"So, does this mean I get to take him with me tomorrow?" Steve asked calmly, getting out of his chair. "Please be my shopping date, Pete." He begged, on one knee in front of Pete on the sofa.

"The shopping master is all yours, my man. All of this," he gestured to himself, "is at your disposal."

Claudia threw popcorn at him, the Grinch completely forgotten in the background.

"Hey, hey, hey. That's good popcorn you're wasting." He started gathering the pieces around him, tossing them in his mouth. "Remember? Number five on the list; gourmet popcorn for holiday television viewing."

"I've got to know. Where did you learn that?" Claudia threw one last piece at him.

"From me." Myka said smiling at the scene in front of her, leaning against the door frame. "He learned that from me. I hate shopping and devise a plan every year to get through it as quickly and painlessly as possible."

Claudia dropped her bowl, popcorn scattering across the floor as the Grinch's heart grew three times its size that day. "Myka! I thought you guys were traveling around in the sun before HG's surgery? Hey, where is she? You should have told us you were coming. We'd have freshened up your old room."

Pete already had her in a big bear hug swinging her around. "Yeah. Where is your scary other? She bringing stuff in? Does she need help?"

He felt her body sag in his arms. "Mykes? What's going on?"

"A little change in travel plans. That's all." She sniffed.

He put her on her feet holding her still. "No, Mykes. You're almost in tears. Is HG okay? Where is she?"

"I don't know." She fell into his arms sobbing.

* * *

"Hey, did I miss it? Aww, guys, you were supposed to wait. Please tell me you didn't eat all the popcorn, Pete." Abigail stared at the blue screen casting a strange aura around the group.

"Myka? Myka! When did you get here? Where's HG?" The silent tension registered over her initial excitement. She took a seat in the rocker and pulled a blanket over herself. "What's going on?"

"We were just getting caught up." Steve said emotionless, standing up. "Anyone want some tea?" No one responded. "I'll take that as a yes."

Pete handed Abigail a bowl of popcorn that she just set aside.

"Let me see if I have this straight. You two lost your freaky thing. Some guy, that Helena kind of had a fling with, but never did the deed with, showed up on your doorstep telling you that the evil doers from Helena's Regents work were following you guys around. They wanted you out of the picture so they can round them up before they attack you guys so they sent you to Tenerife, a somewhat isolated place and kind of a second honeymoon sort of thing…Ouch!" Claudia smacked his head.

"You weren't supposed to let them know you knew d-bag."

"I don't think that's important now, Claud. Sorry, Mykes. It came up one day. Anyway, you get sent on vacation in paradise, you're pissed off at HG, she gets drunk and runs off to 'Mr. Fabio want to be' and they figure out it's you they are targeting for ultimate revenge on your wife. You get your last supper in a super-duper hotel, where you mostly make up, I'm guessing in the true Bering & Wells way, yeah, we can kind of see the marks, until they can fly you guys out at top speed. You get sent here for protection and she gets sent to some undisclosed location for surgery until they decide to make their move on the bad guys. We know Vanessa had to bag Thanksgiving dinner here, so she's probably with HG. You think there is more going on. That 'bout right?"

"In the ever evolving language of my lovely Victorian, yup."

Steve placed the tray on the coffee table. "Left-over Thanksgiving goodies and tea."

"Claudia, does this have anything to do with what's going on in the warehouse?" Abigail asked grabbing a slice of pie with her tea.

"What's going on in the warehouse?" Myka asked turning to Claudia quickly.

"Uh, nothing. No big deal." Claudia glared at Abigail shutting her up.

"What's going on in the warehouse?" Myka asked looking from one face to another, some avoiding eye contact, others shrugging the question off.

"Just a minor disturbance. No big deal." Claudia shrugged.

"Mini-tornadoes no big deal," Steve mumbled drinking his tea.

"What?" Myka shot a look at Claudia wide-eyed.

"I'll show you tomorrow. Don't worry about it. I am curious though, when did you lose your freaky thing?"

"I don't know. I think it was kind of gradual now that I think back, but it was in the library when we knew it was gone. Around the time her computer got zapped? No. Sometime after the rollercoaster fiasco? She was finishing the new security upgrades. She wanted to send them out that day along with the grappler fixes. So, just before you got those, Claud. You did do those upgrades, right? Might come in handy now."

"Duh. Of course we did. I had to rework her plans a little. She didn't know some of the changes in circuitry that I made. But yeah, up and running, and totally awesome. Do you think she knew?"

"I don't think so. She never said." Myka trailed off.

Steve shot a look at Claudia before moving to Myka sitting on the sofa leaning against Pete. "So you're here until the bad guys are caught?"

"I guess. Think Artie will give me my job back?" She gave a half laugh.

"He's kind of in DC on a snag. 'Taking a hit for the team' for the holiday so we could get our shopping done. So, you taught the Pete man how to do the Black Friday shop, huh? He seemed to imply it was all his idea…"

"Yeah. A couple of years ago. He's always been bad at planning. Hey, is this the Grinch?" She picked up the DVD case casually. "Got any more popcorn?" She added weakly.

* * *

_She was jumping into the endless darkness again, but it wasn't the cabin this time. She wasn't even aware of jumping off. She kept passing outcroppings on the sides. It was a deep cavern. Every cliff she passed, someone tried to grab her. First Claudia, then Steve, Abigail and the rest; even Michael. That last one made her shiver in the cold even more. _

_She was in the center of a stage surrounded by blinding lights. She doesn't remember landing. That would hurt, right? She can't see out beyond the lights. She tries to stand and hits her head on a cold steel table. The lights are centered on the table. She steps in a puddle of congealed blood. It's still dripping from an arm. The hand is gone and bleeding profusely. She follows the arm with her eyes. It's Helena's arm. She remembers the faint scar on her elbow. The scar on her elbow. She was eight. 1874. She stared at the scar. She wasn't going to look. No, she was not going to look. She looked and fell in a heap in the pool of blood, vomiting._

Myka jerked awake on the verge of screaming. The bathroom light was on, the door ajar. She jumped out of bed running to the bathroom in time to vomit. Turning on the shower, she stood under the cold water until she was shivering. She dumped the contents of her bag on the bed, searching for her other set of pajamas. They needed to be laundered but at least they were dry.

She turned off the bathroom light. She was alone. It had been force of habit to leave it on. She was not going to sleep alone now. She padded down the hallway knocking on the door.

Pete opened the door scratching his butt. "Mykes, what's wrong? You're freezing. Get in here."

He grabbed the extra blanket he never used wrapping her up in it.

"Can I stay with you?" Myka, terrified, pleaded.

Pete wasn't going to ask. He didn't need to.

"Yeah, of course. You sure you don't want Claudia? Don't you usually, you know, go to her when this happens?"

"No. I don't want Claudia. Please?"

He pulled back the covers. "We don't tell your wife."

"No, we don't tell my wife." She crawled under the covers getting close to the strange form, fighting not to make comparisons.

"She's okay, Myka." He turned on his side spooning the shivering body.

"No. Something isn't right, Pete."

"Thought you said you didn't have the freaks."

"We don't." Myka lay wide-eyed trying to shake the dream.

"Okay." He mumbled falling asleep. "But you got to admit it is just a little freaky. She's fine."

* * *

"What the Hell did you do?" Vanessa screamed from behind her mask.

"Nothing. Nothing should be happening." The anesthesiologist yelled back.

"THIS shouldn't be happening. Did you use the protocol I gave you?" Vanessa started busying herself and calling out orders.

"No. It didn't make sense. I used the normal protocol." He started busying himself with the drugs in front of him.

"There is nothing normal about her. That's why I'm here. That's why I gave you that protocol, you moron. Now get her back! NOW!"


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer:** _I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly I really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

* * *

_"You __shouldn't be__ here, Ms. Wells. It's not time for our game yet. You __belong__ in warehouse 13. Your work here is done. You weren't supposed to stay. There was always a plan. You're destiny has been fulfilled." The man sat before the chess board._

_Helena looked around her. Warehouse 12. "__Caturanga__? What am I doing here? Where is Myka?"_

_"Now, that is a puzzle, isn't it?" He laughed._

_"Mummy?" The girl stepped from behind the laughing man, her hands resting on his shoulders._

_Helena fell to her knees. "Christina?"_

"_Yes, Mummy. Why are you here? Where are Grace and Thomas?" The girl attempted to approach, but stopped short in confusion._

"_I'm sorry, darling. I don't know who they are." She tried to entice the girl into her arms._

"Y_ou don't belong here. You must go." The girl backed away. "Your future has been sealed." The girl wiped her nose on her sleeve._

"_What? I don't understand." She implored of the retreating child._

"_She is correct, Ms. Wells. You belong to 13 now. The queen must come back into play. Remember, she is the most powerful of all. Do not lose her."_

"_I don't understand!"_

_They were gone and she found herself standing in the middle of a stage. A giant chess piece stood beside her. A white queen made of marble. Solid and unmarred, it stood tall and strong, a warmth radiating from its core. She tried to look beyond the bright lights. She turned to look at the queen, seeking its warmth and strength. It was gone._

_She looked down to see the floor was a marble chess board. A steel table sat in the middle, the floor littered with chess pieces; some standing, some lying haphazardly on their sides. Myka stood at the head of the table, tears falling unheeded. Helena tried to call out to her, but found she couldn't speak. _

_The brotherhood looked upon the table. One stepped forward and turned to her._

"_A seal can always be broken." She heard faintly._

_Blackness surrounded her._

* * *

"You idiotic buffoon! Consider yourself a very lucky man right now, because when this is over you are going to regret you ever stepped into this room."

"The protocol made absolutely no sense. Her labs were perfect. There was nothing in that protocol you handed me that was remotely sensible." He sat at the front of the table, closely watching the monitors defending himself.

"That protocol was developed on past history. You've gotten complacent, George. You know better than to just change things. Your mistake was not changing the protocol; it was not asking me about it when it didn't make sense. Did you read the history first? I've been through two surgeries with her already and that so called nonsensical protocol was created specifically for her based on previous anomalies that occurred during the first of those procedures. Thanks to you, I have to tell a very good friend that she died today. If I were you, I wouldn't be standing there feeling happy you helped bring her back either. I'm not convinced you had anything to do with that."

"Dr. Calder, perhaps now would be a good time for you to step out so I can finish my job here and Dr. Reynolds can finish her job with your request. I think the danger is over and our friend is now more familiar with the special anesthetic requirements of our patient. I've already been dragged away from my Thanksgiving holiday, and I'd like to get home sooner than later. Wouldn't you, Dr. Reynolds?"

"My cat would be happy about that." The woman leaning over her meticulous work responded without looking up.

"Ronald…" Vanessa gave him a cold look.

"Vanessa." Dr. Jordan looked up at her from his work with soft eyes. "Please?"

She looked at the faces of the doctors looking at her, the other surgical staff members quickly looking away, the tension palpable in the room. The silence in the room only interrupted by the sound of monitors and passing of instruments with soft requests.

"I'll be outside." She said softly.

"Of course. I'm almost done. Dr. Reynolds, how long for that shoulder?" His hands held still over his work, not taking his eyes off of Vanessa.

"Twenty minutes tops!" The young woman spoke cheerily. "Then she's ready to rock and roll."

Vanessa wondered exactly how old the surgeon was. One of the best in the field Mr. Kosan promised.

"I think there has been enough rocking and rolling." Vanessa grumbled under her breath tearing her mask off as she left the room.

* * *

Myka shot up straight at the sound of the alarm clock.

Pete was suddenly sitting beside her, damp from his shower, a firm calming hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you're okay, Mykes. It's just the alarm clock. I forgot to turn it off. You were snoring, so I let you sleep. You had a pretty rough night and really pointy elbows."

"I don't snore." She answered defensively, shaking his hand off.

"Uh, yeah, you do. At least you were this morning." He gave her stiff smile. "Do yourself a favor and don't look in a mirror. Just go directly to 'go' and get in the shower. Sleeping with wet hair is not a good thing for you. At least it's not blonde this time." He chuckled.

"Ha, ha. And where's Artie's toothbrush?" She stuck her tongue out at him, pulling the covers up to her chin against the chill in the room.

"Oh, geez. Don't even ask. I don't want to know."

She ran her hands through her snarled hair. "I feel like crap."

"Not a big surprise. Want to talk about it?"

"No. It was just a nightmare." She brushed him off.

"She's fine, Myka. You know how she is. She's HG." He lightly punched her in the shoulder.

"And she left me, Pete! Again. She just took off and left me without any explanation. Just some lame comment about me being her priority. I'm tired of it. I thought we left all that behind. I don't even know where she is. Again. Arrgh! When will it stop? When will we ever get to just be us? When will she stop leaving me?!"

"I don't know, Mykes." He said softly. "It's kind of the white knight side of her. She's always going to try to protect you. You know that. It's never been an easy road for you two. Did you really expect it to be? For starters, she was born over a century before you were. Look how it all began."

"Yeah, hanging from her stupid ceiling." Myka dropped to the side on the bed, clutching a pillow to her chest.

Pete chuckled making her glare at him.

"Well, you have to admit, it is kind of funny. You guys are not exactly a normal couple. Don't look at me like that. You know I'm right and it is funny."

"Her being who knows where, supposedly having surgery, is not funny. I want to be there with her, damn it!" She sat up again, punching the pillow. Punching the pillow again she added weakly, "She hates hospitals."

"Yeah, well, sometimes it doesn't work out that way. Maybe you just need to let it go for now." He got up from the bed before he became her target instead of the pillow.

"What!?"

"What else are you going to do?" He shrugged, grabbing a sweatshirt out of his messy closet. "Look, Claudia has been dealing with some warehouse stuff and I think you can help her with it. I have to take Steve Christmas shopping before Artie gets back. Take a shower, find Claud, and we'll all figure this out together. Left-overs tonight. We'll have another Thanksgiving dinner now that you're home. You are home, right?"

"I don't know, Pete. My home is with Helena and I don't know where she is."

"I know." He said quietly, squatting in front of her. "Let's just take it one step at a time. Wells and Bering will be back together again. That much I know."

"Bering and Wells! What makes you so sure, anyway?"

"Call it a vibe. Now go take a shower. You're really scary looking right now with your hair all kind of, you know…" He jogged his hands around his head. "Just go."

Myka got up and headed for the door, her feet instantly turning to ice on the cold floor.

"Hey, Mykes?" Pete asked tentatively.

"Yeah?" She harrumphed in annoyance.

He rubbed his freshly shaven face. "You sure you don't have the freak going on? Cause last night…"

She froze with her hand on the door knob, her head down. Her eyes followed the grain of the wood up the door, her heart reaching out. "There's nothing, Pete. It was just a bad dream." She spoke quietly and opened the door abruptly, slamming it behind her.

* * *

"When did all of this start, again?" Myka looked at the so-called disturbance in front of her. The dark cloud had dissipated to a quiet rumble with an occasional charge of static. The rest of the warehouse remained untouched. Claudia had filled her in over breakfast. The fact that it affected no other part of the warehouse intrigued her much as its development. No one could deny she and Helena were somehow connected to the mess.

They sat on the floor staring at the cloud overhead. Myka rested her chin on her knees while Claudia sat cross-legged like she had become accustomed to, thinking over the situation over the past weeks.

"Best I can figure, from all you've told me, around the time you two started to lose the whatever you call it. It fluctuates from a moderate overhang to...well, like Steve said, mini-tornadoes. That was Thanksgiving. The day you two physically separated. It's definitely connected to your emotions and all. This is the closest I've been able to get in a while. Probably because you're here."

"How exactly did you break in again?" Myka turned her head resting her cheek on her knees, smiling slightly.

"It was really easy, actually. I thought she'd make it a lot harder. The final code was your birthday. How cliché is that?" Claudia laughed then stopped abruptly, jaw dropping as the realization hit her.

Myka's smile spread with amusement over the changing expressions on Claudia's face. Claudia turned to stare at her amused friend, glaring at her as the realization smacked her ego down like a rolled newspaper on a fly.

"Uh, yeah. So, I feel really stupid right now. She made it easy on purpose, didn't she?"

"Sorry, Claud." She laughed. "She wanted to make sure someone could get in if they needed to. There was no guarantee it would be you. So, yeah, she made it easy on purpose. Good guess on the birthday, though." Myka bumped her shoulder against the younger woman, harder than intended, almost pushing her over.

"But why put a lock on it at all, then? Why not just leave it like it was?"

"What would be..."

"The fun in that." Claudia finished lamely. "Still. Man, that's just plain mean."

"She did it because she could. It's symbolic more than anything. It's her stuff, but nothing she has any real concern over. It's either a past she's forgotten or let go of, or just stuff she really doesn't care much about. Trust me. Anything she does value you'd probably have a tough time getting into. And yes, I know where and how and it will stay that way. And I'll probably still need your help if it ever comes to that."

"Mrs. F. said your stuff is in there too. Did you know that?"

"Really?" Myka's face scrunched up in disbelief as she looked into the mass of crates and boxes. "Huh. Guess Mr. Kosan took that whole 'her stuff is mine' speech seriously."

"Yeah. Anything you left to be stored. Yours and hers. Mrs. F. figures neither of you probably really remember all that's in there. That's why Steve and I couldn't figure out anything from the inventory list and took the liberty of breaking in. That list is all pre-bronze. It doesn't even have the stuff she had brought over from London on it when you guys moved into the cottage. This brings me to another topic…"

"What?"

"The cottage?" Claudia leaned back on her arms looking straight ahead, ignoring the inquiring eyes looking directly at her.

"What about it? I'm not staying there. I'm here until she's back and that whole mess is cleaned up. I'm happy in my old room."

"Okay. Then I'll just leave that for lat…"

"Tell me, Claudia."

"It's not so much a cottage as a…uh…well…"

"Claudia…"

"Okay. They did a little remodeling when you moved out and it's more of a house now."

"So?"

"Well, you know…"

"No, Claudia, I don't know. What are you trying to say?"

"Just…" She sighed and rushed on quickly. "Okay, fine. I found out this morning all your stuff is arriving tomorrow and they're moving it all in there, 'cause the Atlanta thing is done and no one knows where you are going, and you asked about your job and…Maybe?"

"Ah, haaa. Sooo, you think I'm going to stay."

"Don't you mean 'we'?"

"If she ever comes back. At least she said good-bye this time." Myka trailed off.

"Hey. No talking like that! She's fine and she will. Sooo, back to this mess." She waved at the section in front of them. "What are you going to do about it?"

"ME?" Myka sat straight up, daring the cloud to get bigger.

"Well, you're causing it, or it's causing you or whatever. And Artie is getting really annoying and Mrs. F. couldn't be any vaguer. Well, I guess she could, but she said help was on its way and I think that's you. HG would be nice too, but you're all I got."

"Gee, thanks, Claud. First you want me to move into a house in the back and next I'm second fiddle."

"Not second fiddle, just not the package deal. The two of you have always been kind of one. I have a theory on that, but I'm not saying so don't ask."

"Okay. I won't ask. I've got enough to worry about." Myka stood abruptly, wiping the dust off her hands on her thighs.

"Where you going?" Claudia asked scrambling up off the floor after her.

"Inside. Where else? Gotta start somewhere. It might as well be in the eye of the storm. Besides, it's not like I have anything better to do right now. I can't exactly go for a walk down Main Street, Univille." She leaned over whispering in Claudia's ear. "You never know, someone might just kidnap me."

"That's not funny, Myka. She was serious about that. She wouldn't have agreed to you being here if it weren't."

"Well, she could have asked for my opinion first. And, it's true. I'm trapped in the warehouse, so I might as well start digging through all that and start looking for what else is trapped. Well, come on, you started this trip." She nodded her head to the section.

"I don't know if she'll let me in." Claudia shrugged, looking around suspiciously, expecting some sort of answer.

Myka stood straight, arms crossed in front of her. "Don't know until you try, and my gut says as long as you're with me, you're okay." She started towards section filled with crates on the other side of the open gate.

Claudia got up and tentatively took a few steps following Myka through the gate, anticipating the first zap. Nothing happened.

"What's with all the mess?" Myka spun around wide-eyed at the open crates, packing material strewn around the floor and wooden tops left standing against the crates.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." She kicked some of the material in front of her away. "Steve and I never got a chance to close up what we did get through. It was weird though, 'cause everything just stopped when we were in here. Then it started up again and she wouldn't let us in later to clean it up. You two must have been fighting or well, you know...something."

"Or something?" Myka narrowed her eyes staring directly at Claudia again. "Doubtful." She mumbled. "When did it stop?" Myka cocked her head.

"Uhm, let me think." Claudia looked up to the ceiling in thought, only to be met by the thickness of the cloud. "Steve and I came in here…Sometime before you called Pete at 4 am. What was up with that anyway? Oh, yeah, Mr. Fabio…never mind. I don't know Myka. It's been really erratic." Claudia was getting frustrated with the timeline questions.

"Just like us. Doesn't matter. If I had to take a guess it was probably around the time she walked out. We broke apart. It may have been the final act that broke the tie to the warehouse you were talking about." She stopped in front of one of the crates deep in thought. It was part of one of Helena's many inventions. "Go get the hammer and a marker. We can start with what you guys did do and mark stuff as we go along. I'm going to take a look 'round and see if anything sticks out." Myka started kicking the material on the floor now, hands on hips, thinking to the 'shish' of the stuff sliding across the floor.

"Uh, yeah. Okay. You sure I won't get zapped coming back? It's not as exciting as some make it out to be."

"Really, I think it's okay if I'm here. She's been pretty temperamental, huh?" Claudia looked at her strangely. "Your warehouse." Myka clarified.

"Yeah. I'll go get that stuff, but if I get zapped," she pointed a finger directly at Myka's chest, "You owe me a plate of chocolate-chip cookies."

"That's Artie's and Helena's specialty." She reminded the young woman morosely. "I still can't figure out what she does to them. I'll make you peanut butter with chocolate kisses in the middle?"

"Whatever. I'm just saying…"

Myka wandered around the crates and further in to the newer boxes, reading the few labels written on them. Some only identified with 'H.G. Wells' on the sides giving no indication to the contents. She smiled when she fell over a small crate labeled 'Christmas'.

"Hey, Myka. Where are you?" Claudia called.

"I'm down here." She crouched down looking at the box more carefully.

"Did you find something?" Claudia asked, finding her on her knees running her hand across the top of the crate.

"No. Not really. I never knew she had any Christmas stuff. She's always been gone. It would have been our first Christmas together." She said sadly. "Think about it. That box is probably an antique dealers dream."

"Dude, it's not Christmas yet. That's bad juju to talk like that."

"Whatever." Myka responded blank faced. "How come all the old stuff comes first and the new stuff is back here? That doesn't make sense." Myka looked back and forth, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Have you seen the size of some of those crates? Easier to keep piling all your crap back here. Where's your stuff?" Claudia looked further in, taking a few steps.

"I don't know. Can't be too important if I didn't know it's here." Myka shrugged, noncommittal. "Guess I didn't need it. Your stuff becomes less important when you start creating our stuff." She let out a big breath. "Let's take care of the mess first." Myka motioned towards the mess by the gate.

They started towards the crates Claudia and Steve had gone through until Myka stopped short, Claudia slamming hard into her back and nearly knocking them both to the ground.

"Geez, Myka. Give some warning will you. I think I just broke my nose." Claudia complained against the hard shoulders. "Myka?"

She looked in the direction Myka was staring, softly rubbing her stinging nose. "Do you want to open it?"

"Yes, I mean, no." Myka walked up to the crate with great reverence, caressing the top. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. She just doesn't talk about it a lot and I never push."

"Let's open it then." Claudia took the hammer starting to pry open the top. Myka grabbed her arm quickly, stopping her.

"No. It's not for us to open. Some things are just not meant to be intruded upon. Christina's belongings are not mine. That's for Helena to open, and Helena alone. Come on."

"Aren't you even curious?" Claudia complained.

"Of course I am, Claud. I already live with a ghost whether I want to or not. I don't need to open it up as well."

"What if it's the cause?" Claudia leaned against the crate, patting the side with her hand.

"I don't think it is. If it is, then it's only part of it and honestly, I don't think I'm the solution. I think Helena and I are the solution. It's us, not me or her. It's us. You said it yourself. Now let's close up and mark those boxes and see what else we find. That crate remains unopened."

"Okay." Claudia relented dejectedly. She hammered the two nails back down that she had loosened. The cloud above darkened. She looked at Myka with raised eyebrows. "Still sure that's not part of the problem?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure it is, but until Helena decides to talk about it, that box stays closed."

"Talk about what?" Claudia asked curiously.

"None of your business." Myka snapped walking away from the crate in deep thought.

* * *

"Myka?" Helena croaked seeing the shadowed figure in the corner. It startled slightly, got up and came into view, sitting in the chair closer to the bed.

"No. It's just me, Helena. She's not here, remember? I'm the best you get unless you want what's his name."

"Bloody Hell." She swore at the pain radiating through her left arm as she tried pushing herself up on the bed.

"I wouldn't recommend that." Vanessa wrapped her arm around her torso and helped her sit up, adjusting the bed.

"No, I don't want that ass. I want Myka." She swore at the ceiling remembering the circumstances of her being there alone now. "So tell me, am I going to live? If this headache is any indication I hope not."

"That's really not a funny question, Helena." Vanessa laughed nervously sitting back down.

"Why is my arm bandaged?" Helena laid her head back with a tired sigh.

"Consider it a belated gift. You'll find that scar reduced to a fine line soon and will probably fade away to almost nothing in time. I asked them to take care of the one on your shoulder, too. I know you don't complain about it, but it is showing some irritation."

"Well, that explains why it stings." Helena closed her eyes.

"How else do you feel?" Vanessa asked starting to examine her patient.

"Miserable of course, but we both know I've been worse. I wish Myka were here."

Vanessa laughed nervously again, pulling out her stethoscope. Finishing her exam she sat back down.

"So do I. Then I'd only have to go through this once and you're not the one that scares me."

"Through what? It doesn't look like I lost a hand." Helena gave a weak smile.

"No. Actually, Dr. Jordan believes that the surgery was very successful, and the nerves will reconnect well. With a little PT he's guessing at least an 80% recovery, probably more."

"Well then, so far this whole masquerade seems to be in my favor. What have you not told me yet? I'm infertile?"

"I doubt that. That remains another discussion for later. I don't have everything back regarding that situation." Her smile remained short lived and she took a deep breath. "Helena, based on your previous history we developed an anesthetic protocol for you. That protocol was ignored without my knowledge and to put it bluntly you died on that table. It took us almost five minutes to get you back."

Helena looked at her blankly, trying to comprehend what Vanessa just told her. "So, it seems I've come back from the dead a second time. Lovely. Third time must be the charm. I rather preferred the first time when it didn't actually happen. Of course, that remains somewhat of a confusing paradox to me."

"Helena, Myka will want an update when I get back. I need you to decide how much you want me to tell her."

"I see. Well, it is a good thing I'm alive now, isn't it? I don't think you'd have stood much of a chance against Myka." A faint smile made it to her face in jest.

"Oh, don't I know it. I don't think any of them would let me out of there alive. I'd probably be found years later somewhere deep in the recesses of that warehouse." Vanessa smiled back. "I'm also anticipating a resurgence of your nightmares in epic proportions again, so I'm medicating you this time, early. I don't like that Myka isn't here and I don't really trust what's his name out there to be able to handle them well."

"We'll be alright. To be honest, he's handled them well enough on his own before, though admittedly not nearly as well as Myka. I'll be fine."

Vanessa raised her eyebrows in question, but didn't ask. She looked through the door seeing the hovering shadow beyond. "He's outside the door. I've told him he stays there for now. There hasn't been any news on the outside. I'll be leaving as soon as you've recovered enough to leave. I've said at least 24 hours. I'm going to let you get some sleep." She started to get up.

"Vanessa?" Helena reached for her hand, cringing at the pain in her forearm, stubbornly ignoring it.

"Hmm?" Vanessa stopped half way out of the chair, grasping the proffered hand.

"You are as much a part of my family as anyone. Would you please stay with me awhile longer?" Helena's falling eyes pleaded.

The doctor sat back down, relaxing as best she could in the uncomfortable chair, and smiled at the closing eyes, holding the hand in her own. "Of course. I'd like that. As long as you want. Now get some sleep. Doctor's orders."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N:** Thank you for your comments and reviews. I really do appreciate the feedback. This is a good thing. It keeps me in line. I try to clarify confusing parts when I can. Often I've already addressed some of your concerns; you just don't know it yet. I find this especially gratifying as it means I've left you wondering, yet I'm leading you somewhere in the right direction and it keeps me from getting lost. It's really great fun to hear from you.

* * *

Myka jumped at the unexpected knock on her door, her book flying out of her hands and landing on the floor with a loud thunk. A fleeting smile crossed her face just as quickly, as an image flashed through her head; a perplexed expression, head cocked to one side, a finely structured hand threading through long, dark hair, a sarcastic voice in her head, _Since when do people actually knock on our door?_ She glanced at the clock. It was late. She was just as startled when she opened the door.

"Vanessa…Is she okay? Where is she?" Myka couldn't get the words out fast enough through the blur of thoughts.

"We have many ears at the bottom of the stairs, soon outside your door, I am sure. They were not happy with my professional answer to their own inquiries, Artie included. May I come in?" The doctor asked quietly.

"Of course. I'm sorry. It's just…I..." Myka opened the door allowing the doctor free access, a million questions flowing through her mind at one time, before closing it with a distinct click staring at the closed door before her. Myka turned as the doctor's voice, no, her friend's voice, brought her attention to the inner sanctum of her room where she'd hid since her arrival a few days earlier.

"I know it's late, but I didn't want to wait. When I left she was doing well. Missing you terribly, but doing well. You were the first one she asked for. I stayed with her until discharge. Before you ask anything else, she asked me to give this to you." Vanessa handed her the slender, travel-worn envelope. "She gave it to me before we took off."

Myka greedily grabbed the battered envelope, single-mindedly tearing it open and backing up to sit on the bed, the messenger forgotten.

_My dearest, sweet Myka,_

_I find myself watching you sleep and oddly, at a loss for words. I know you will be angry with me. You are angry now. Please, I beg you, try not to be. You are well aware that there is more to this whole mess than my having a silly surgery. I want nothing more than to have you there with me. This is not how I would have liked this to have unfolded. Your safety, though, is of the utmost concern to me. It always has been, just as I know my safety is yours. Hence, why I know, without a doubt, you are very angry. So, before you become more irrational, and I know you already are, please do listen for just a moment._

_I know Michael. He is going to use me in some way to finish this mess. I've tried to tell you in the most subtle of ways that you are right where I need. Perhaps that is selfish of me. It always seems that I am the one ultimately ruling our life together. You have been and always will be my priority and Michael has promised me this. We are not free until it this mess is taken care of. I will do what I need to do to finish this as quickly as possible so we can actually have a life together. One in which I am not the constant deciding factor._

_Michael and I are responsible for this situation and I will not risk you in solving it. You know how resourceful I am. I eventually won your heart, did I not?_

_I love you more than anything in this world. Perhaps you are my greatest weakness, but you have always been my greatest strength. I will be home as soon as I can. I will always come back to you. Look at the stars and laugh. I'll be right there making a right ass of myself I am sure._

"I am who I am and I have the need to be."  
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, _The Little Prince_

_See you soon,_

_-Helena_

Myka read through the letter three times before crumpling it up and throwing it across the room.

"Why? Why does she keep doing this? Why can't she just…"

Vanessa eased down to sit beside her, taking her in her arms as she would a child. "Stop being who she is? Because, that's who you fell in love with. It's the same person that infuriates you for all the same reasons you love her."

Myka sat up straight, sniffing away her emotions. Vanessa handed her a tissue from the side of the bed, picking up the book from the floor.

"I can't answer all the questions I know are going through that head of yours, mostly because I probably don't know the answers, but this is what I can tell you. First of all, the surgery went very well. Dr. Jordan was very pleased and anticipates at least an 80% return of function if not more. We were in Germany. I don't know if she is still there. Aside from HG, Michael is the best watch dog I've ever met. The best I could get about the situation is that Michael's team is planning to make a coordinated move soon. What I'm not supposed to say is what I think you have already guessed. She is the bait and she knew he was setting her up. We don't think he is yet telling the whole story. Michael has spent the best part of a year being followed and when you moved to Atlanta, you and Helena became the focus. He is just as much invested in having 'his friends' as he likes to refer to them, taken out of the picture."

"Why is it her? Why not Michael?" Unable to breathe, Myka grabbed another tissue.

"He is, too. Think about it. The two together make a much more enticing target. The focus is on one place, not two, if they are together. They already have surveillance on three other locations and they want to strike them at the same time and not risk losing someone through the cracks. They've been planning this for months. You and Helena were never an issue until you moved to Atlanta. She knew Michael was using her, but she didn't know that it was all his planning. The Regents gave the okay under the asssumption that Helena was involved in the decision making. We were sent for the surgery believing she was the one requesting the push, not as part of Michaels plan."

"So, what? They're playing house again?"

"That's my understanding, but with two very separate bedrooms."

Myka scrutinized the doctor beside her.

"I know the history, Myka. Helena and I had a lot of time to talk, about a lot of…things. You have nothing to worry about. That woman plans on one thing and that's getting back here to you as soon as she can."

"She always intends to come home. One of these days she's not going to. How am I supposed to just sit here, waiting like…like an abandoned puppy?"

"She hasn't abandoned you and you are far from being a sad puppy. That's part of the deal you make with the warehouse. Do you think it's ever been any different for her? Okay, maybe just a little right now, but not much. Like I said, we talked, a lot. She didn't want to leave you like that. Even she didn't know it wasn't Regent controlled. All she figured out was she was being used by Michael as bait, and she was pissed. Now I know what you all mean by the Minoan glare. It's scary! I'm not saying she handled this the best way, but none of us ever do when you come right down to it. We just try our best and hope it all works out. All she wants is to have a future with you. Trust me on that."

"We left the warehouse because of that!" Myka exclaimed.

"I'm not sure anyone ever leaves the warehouse. It sucks you in. It's always a part of you and vise verse. Some of us more than others, I think we may even lose a part of ourselves in the process. She's lost a lot, but she also knows how much she's gained."

Vanessa sighed realizing she wasn't getting through. "Myka, she died on the table. Hold on!" Myka jumped off the bed. "She didn't ask me to tell you and she didn't tell me not to tell you. So, I'm going into the land of grey and I'm sure I'll hear all about it. She sees a future with you and it's one she really wants to have. You were the only one that trusted her before. Don't lose that now. You two have had more than your fair share of obstacles to plow through, and plow through then you have. I think it's safe to say you're going to have a lot more ahead of you. Every relationship does."

They sat in silence. Myka jumped when Vanessa next spoke, bringing her out of her own thoughts.

"I'm going to go. Let me know if you have any questions or if you just want to talk. If I have answers I'll tell you. I'll try hard not to bore you with more advice."

"Couldn't they do this without her?" She implored.

"I don't think so. She wasn't that visible until you moved. I guess we all play our parts. Sometimes I think we're just chess pieces on a board, moving around, playing our part until we're trapped."

Myka laughed sardonically.

"Did I miss something?" Vanessa asked.

"No, not really. Helena argued something like that all the time. We had a really big argument over it once. Well, more accurately a fight. Claudia almost became a target for Helena's chess board. We didn't know she was in the room when we stormed in. I'm not even sure who it was that sent it flying across the room. Probably me."

"Why do you say that?" Vanessa leaned against the door, crossing her arms, curious of the answer.

"Despite what everyone thinks, she's the one that keeps her cool in the long run. Sure, she erupts and walks out, usually over the stupid stuff, and I'm used to that now, but she cools down and comes back with a clear head and talks. Then it's over. I keep tightly controlled initially, holding back, but I let it fester until it explodes. I keep feeding it, smoldering, while she patiently waits for me to burn out. Somehow we make it work. We haven't killed each other yet." She smiled feebly. She narrowed her eyes, looking skeptically at the doctor. "You already knew that, though, didn't you?"

"Oh, I've been on the sidelines more than a few times. Just making sure you knew. And you're right that somehow it works for you two. Get some sleep. Do you want me to update the audience on the other side of the door or do you want to do it?" Vanessa asked.

"Go ahead. It's not like there is much to tell anyway. I've got other things to do." She grabbed her coat waiting for Vanessa to corral everyone else into the kitchen before sneaking down the stairs under cover of the many questions being thrown at the doctor at once. Vanessa deserved a really nice Christmas present this year.

* * *

"If you're not going to talk to Claudia do you think you might want to give me a clue or two? After all, we both know I'm part of the problem, right? That's why I'm I here!" Myka spun around with both arms sticking straight out from her sides, screaming at the ceiling obliterated by the cloud. It hadn't changed much since her arrival. Laughing, Claudia gave her morning report at breakfast every day; "Partly cloudy with a chance of an occasional outburst." Myka wasn't sure if Claudia was referring to her or the cloud.

Myka stopped turning when she started to get dizzy. "Great. Now I'm playing Julie Andrews in the opening of The Sound of Music. Only I'm screaming at a building not singing a song!" She yelled at the ceiling again.

Pete walked up behind her clearing his ear out with a finger, a pained expression on his face. "And it really echoes in here and you're really loud. Don't quit your day job, by the way."

Myka jumped and turned quickly, smacking his arm. "Damn it, Pete. Give a little warning next time before sneaking up on me."

"I would have except you were already screaming like a crazy woman and there is a lot of stuff on the floor I had to get around. And I wasn't sneaking. Artie wants to know when you plan on going through those files and needs help with that book Claudia and Steve are tracking down. You did say you wanted your job back."

"I'm trying to fix his problem. How did you even get in here?" Myka leaned against a closed crate.

"I think your theory of your beloved presence let me in here. Don't think I'm trying it alone. Looks to me like you're just making a huge mess. Maybe you should to give it a break, Mykes. You're in here almost every night and morning and it's not really working. So far all you've done is find some really cool antique Christmas decorations."

Myka slid down to the floor clasping her knees, resting her head back against a crate. "I've gone through almost every one of her boxes. I knew she had some cool inventions, but they're still pretty amazing. I'm not even finding anything in her personal belongings, except for a few journals that I really wish I hadn't found."

"Ooo, can I read them?" He teased her, shoving her foot with his own.

"NO! I'm tempted to burn them. Some things I just really don't need to know. We have this sort of agreement." She kicked her leg out at him, missing her target. There were enough journals floating around as it was.

"Ah, ha. Capt. Jack strikes again." He crowed.

"What?"

"Oh. Yeah. Well, think about it. She's kind of the female version of Capt. Jack Harkness. You know keeps on living, charming, uses her powers of sedu…Okay, maybe not so funny right now. ANYway...So, you got over the guilt of going through her stuff, huh?" He noticed the crate she sat against.

"Not so much. It still feels weird." It was one thing to go through the inventoried warehouse crates; it was another to start digging through her personal belongings from another lifetime. At first Myka had felt guilty as if she were indeed intruding into a stranger's privacy, then she oddly became fascinated by learning about a whole different person from the one she knew. Either way, she still felt she was violating her trust. If Helena had wanted to share this part of her life she would have. It should have been her choice. Myka had taken that choice away from her.

Pete looked at the mess up and down the aisle, crossing his arms thinking. He nodded his head towards her backrest. "Still won't open that one, huh?"

Myka looked up at the name above her head on the crate, grimacing. "No. I can't do it."

"You've opened just about everything else. You even brought up her Christmas stuff. Claudia certainly had fun playing with that stuff."

"This is different and you know it." She picked up a stray piece of wood, picking at some of the packing material on the floor.

"You still haven't told her, have you?" He pointed his finger at her.

"I've tried, but she just won't…I can't push it, okay? There's really no point, so just drop it." She smacked his hand out of her face.

"Okay. Fine, but I still think she deserves the option." He threw his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. What makes you so sure it has to do with her stuff?" He squinted at the boxes up and down the aisle.

"Huh?" She looked up at him from the floor, having still been poking around the detritus surrounding her.

"Well, it seems kind of narrow minded to just assume it has to do with HG's stuff. I mean, think about it, all that stuff, most of this, that is, came from 12 and has been here forever. Don't you think there would have been an issue before? It makes more sense to me that if this whole disturbance thing is in some way connected to both of you, that whatever it is Mrs. Frederic seems to think is part of the problem, it would be something that both of you are somehow related to. Whatever is related to both of you, connects the two of you to the warehouse and so on. Right?"

Myka sat unmoving with her jaw hanging open, staring at him blankly.

"What? Is there something on my face or something?" He rubbed his hand over his face, looking for some invisible future embarrassment. "Look, Claud told us part of her theory of you two and the warehouse, though I think she's leaving a lot out. It just makes sense, that's all. I can sort of understand the HG and the warehouse 12 part, well maybe only Artie can, but maybe that's just HG and not her stuff."

"But none of this is OUR stuff. It's either her stuff or mine. Mostly hers."

"Well, yeah, but something, or things have to do with both of you. Maybe you need to work backwards in time, not forwards. 'Cause I hate to tell you, Mykes," he looked around at the mess before looking back at his partner, "this ain't working. You're just making a big ol' mess on the floor." He kicked aside some stray wood.

"Sometimes you amaze me, Lattimer. Why didn't you say something earlier? Help me clean this up." She stood up, grabbing the hammer from the floor. She shook the grit off of her hands, ignoring the blackness set in the cracks of her palms and fingers.

"ME? You made the mess."

"Oh, like I've never cleaned any of your messes up before. Take the hammer." She got up starting to repack the crates and holding the panels up for him. "Watch it! Hit the nails, not my fingers."

After hammering the last crate shut, Pete rubbed his face again stepping from one foot to the other. "Spit it out, Pete. You have that 'I did something and you're not going to like it' look, or you really have to pee, so just say it already."

Myka ignored him walking further into the section looking for her stored boxes.

"Well… it's kinda, sorta about Christmas."

"Unless you tell me my wife is going to be under that tree so I can strangle her for real this time, I don't want to hear it." She continued until she found some of her own boxes. "You got your Swiss army knife on you?"

"No, I can't promise that, but if that does happen I promise to hold Claudia back for you."

"Ha, ha." She turned expectantly, holding out her hand. "Knife?"

He pulled it out and thought better of it, pulling it away quickly. "Uh, before I hand you this, promise you won't use it against me. It's almost Christmas."

She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. "Pete, what did you do now, and does Artie know?" She placed her hands on her hips still glaring at him.

"Yeah, he does and he made me come down and tell you. So, I'm just going to step back out of your reach." He took a big step away and rushed on in one big breath. "I invited your parents, they said yes and they'll be here for Christmas Eve and it's not that bad because my mom is going to be here too and so is Steve's so we can all suffer the parent thing together, and they don't want one of the cottages they want to stay in the main house near you." He quickly covered his head expecting her to start beating him. Not feeling or hearing anything, he carefully peeked through his arms to find her sitting on the floor staring into nothing.

"Mykes? Aren't you going to at least punch me?" He kneeled down in front of her. "Mykes? Are you there?"

"Why?" Pete barely heard the word. She turned her head towards him.

"Because it's Christmas and it was supposed to be the big holiday bash, remember? Christmas here."

"No. WHY?" She screamed in his face. "Why isn't she here? Where the Hell is she? Why does she do this to me? Why do I let her? Two years, Pete! Two years I've spent Christmas with my parents because she wasn't here. Why wasn't she here? Why wasn't she here with me? She is supposed to spend Christmas with me! She was always away."

"Uh, Mykes, I understand the anger thing and all, but can we maybe take this somewhere else? Not really a good place…" He looked up at the darkening cloud above. Static built overhead.

"Why, Pete? Just answer me why?" She cried.

"I don't know, but please don't get mad at me for what I'm about to do." He looked up quickly before picking her up, the knife falling on the floor, throwing her over his shoulder with little grace and ran through the gate just as a charge struck the spot where they had been.

"What the Hell did you do, Pete?" Artie yelled from the deck when Pete dumped Myka on the ground, pulling her up the stairs behind him.

"Don't look at me. She's the one that decided to get all domestically pissed off in Area HG and cause a huge storm."

"So I see. Get her out of here." Artie looked over the warehouse watching the storm quiet down. "Did you tell her about your guest list?"

"What do you think set the fireworks off?" Pete complained pushing Myka through the umbilicus.

* * *

"Well, that bloody well didn't get us anywhere. Do you actually have a plan here? This shouldn't be this difficult!" She threw herself in the chair.

He placed the coffee in front of her before she managed to grab it out of his hand. "We don't know how many there are. Just drink the coffee and calm down. I wish you'd stop drinking it. It's doing nothing for that temper of yours." Michael sat down calmly crossing his hands together on the table.

"I told you two days ago there was a third. He's over my left shoulder by now watching from behind that newspaper he is not reading. I highly doubt he can even read the print. If you actually included me we might be done with this mess of yours. Get the damned fools out here to pick them up so I can go home. This is a bloody waste of my bloody time."

"If you don't calm down it'll be a bloody waste of your bloody life." He seethed.

"Fine. Then just get me back to the warehouse and I'll hide there too until you get this mess cleaned up. Call me when it's over." He grabbed her pulling her back down as she tried to stand up.

"Tomorrow. Everyone is in place for tomorrow. These three are peons, but with any doubt in their heads, and we know how easily peons spook, the major players will disperse in seconds. We don't care about these guys. It's the fourth one behind me with a gun aimed at your head I'm worried about, because the second bullet is for my head."

"You really think he can shoot straight? Twice? Then what is he waiting for?"

She'd leaned over the small beaten up table so close to his face she was spitting at him. Unflinching, Michael sat back calmly.

"Yes, I do. He is not one of our friends. He is part of the bigger picture I never told you about and he doesn't miss. Our friends are being used by bigger fish and they are stupid enough to think that they are part of the family. It's the bigger fish everyone is concerned about and why this is such a mess now. So please, sit back and have this lover's quarrel over with. I'd like to keep my head today."

"Damn it, Michael. You never would give me a straight answer and you never trusted me with the truth. I dropped you because of that. Did you know that? I knew I could depend on myself better than I was ever able to depend on you. I wanted out."

"And then they kept framing you. What did that get you?" He nodded at the braced hand. He looked at his Swiss watch, glinting off the sunlight. "You're just a pawn like the rest of us. With that said, you need to visit the hospital for some PT while I make some phone calls. Kiss and make up?" He smiled broadly.

"Tomorrow or I take things into my own hands. I am no longer a pawn and you're still an ass." She hissed at him, standing up and leading the way.

* * *

"Get your feet off my desk. Is she down there again?" Artie asked Pete, hitting the feet perched on the desk. He was tipping the chair back, arms across his chest deep in thought.

"She said she needed to think." Pete caught himself from falling out of the precariously tilted chair when Artie pushed his feet off.

"I wish she'd start thinking more about those files. Steve and Claudia are heading back with the book. Nice of Myka to finally join in on that one."

"Hey, it was one call to the library. If she hadn't worked there, she wouldn't know who to call."

"Well, if she weren't taking apart Area HG…why did you name it that? Now I can't get it out of my head."

"I don't know, maybe because it's kind of spooky? Maybe there is a lost alien in all that junk that she never told us about and it wants out. And because I think HG would think it's a hoot. If she ever comes back."

"WHEN she comes back. As I was saying," Artie looked up at the figure crossing the deck, "never mind."

Myka walked through the door, oblivious to the occupants, examining an object in her hands. Artie looked out the large window, noticing no change in the disturbance.

"Whatch'ya got, Mykes?" Pete spun around in the chair.

"Hmm? Oh, just a teddy bear I found in my stuff. My favorite Aunt gave it to me when I was a kid, but my parents never let me play with it because it was an antique. It sat on top of one of the bookshelves in the store. I never thought that was very fair. It was my gift."

"Let me see?" Pete took the bear. "I don't remember this, Myka. All I remember is that big, scary, white thing."

"It wasn't scary! Give me my bear back." She grabbed it from him, examining it closely. "It sat on the sofa. I packed most of this stuff up when Helena kind of, uh, moved in." She glanced a furtive look at Artie knowing it was still a sensitive topic for him.

"Oh, you mean when she stayed and never left and no one told me she was already making regular…?" Artie turned bright red. "She was given her own room for a reason!" Artie blurted.

"Just another complication." He finished under his breath.

"Let it go, Artie. So you were the last to know. Kind of funny your girlfriend was the one that pushed them together. Ouch!" Artie smacked him on the back of the head. "Come on, Artie, you have to admit it is kind of funny Vanessa knew before you."

"Get out of my chair and go home!"

"Mykes, let's go." Pete turned around to find her frowning at the bear. "Myka?" He waved his hand in front of her face.

Artie looked up over his glasses at her from his warm chair. "Something wrong?"

"Huh?" She took her attention away to see the two men staring at her. "No. I don't think so. It's just… just a funny feeling. I never really paid much attention to it. I just carried it around from place to place, but I never packed it away before. Pete, look at the bottom of his foot."

She handed it over. He looked at it quickly. "Yeah, it has a blue stain. Cool, it looks like a butterfly! It's an old bear. He has a stain."

"No, look closer. It's embroidered on the heel."

Pete strained his eyes, looking closer. "You don't really think…Come on, Myka, it's just a coincidence."

Artie took the bear. "I agree with Pete. I want you out of that section. You're letting your head wander too much."

Myka took the bear stomping out of the room. "Yeah, you're right. 'CW' on a Victorian age teddy bear in the world of endless wonders that has a weird disturbance going on over the HG Wells section. No reason for my mind to go a little off."

"Artie, you don't really think….Nah…just a coincidence. Right?" Pete raised his eyebrows, hopeful.

Artie shrugged. "It is the world of endless wonder." He gazed out over at the simmering cloud.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N:** Thank you for your comments and reviews. I really do appreciate the feedback. This is a good thing. It keeps me in line. I try to clarify confusing parts when I can. Often I've already addressed some of your concerns; you just don't know it yet. I find this especially gratifying as it means I've left you wondering, yet I'm leading you somewhere in the right direction and it keeps me from getting lost. It's really great fun to hear from you.

* * *

Steve turned off the one light by the sofa, leaving the empty cup behind for the morning and closed his book shut. He smiled with the last taste of the cognac infused milk. He'd indulged in the cognac grabbing it from their cupboard. Unable to sleep, he grabbed the book from the cottage, memories of silent late evenings meeting on the porch when he or HG couldn't sleep. He stood in the doorway looking into the room trying to enjoy the soft glow of the white lights from the tree. Everyone had tried to make it a joyous event, but the hanging of each ornament seemed to bring on more sadness with each memory it brought. Hardest for Myka were the few antique ornaments she'd found in HGs crate, some obviously made by a child's hand. Underneath the tree lay everyone's gifts, many waiting to be unclaimed by the absent recipient. The teddy bear Myka had forgotten about and found in her own boxes of possessions sat among them, an unexpected gift and a reminder of the past. Joshua was the most vivacious one of them all, spreading his infectious laugh and childish excitement as best he could at the placing of his various gifts under the tree. He had been gone too long this time. A feeling they all felt. They had even attempted a story time with Myka's father reading The Night before Christmas that ended in an awkward silence until everyone followed Myka's example and simply headed to bed.

He heard the jiggling of the door knob and the click of the lock. He turned quickly to meet the intruder but stopped short at the sight of a dark head bent over, covered with the sudden onset of snow melting quickly in the heat of the inn. He leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms, grinning.

Not expecting anyone at this late hour, she startled, dropping the carry-on, her hand unconsciously coming to her chest. A big smile crossed her face, brightening her eyes in the dim light.

They stood smiling stupidly at each other until Steve finally spoke.

"So, still breaking and entering, huh?"

"No key." She shrugged. "Need to exercise this new hand, you know." She smiled sheepishly.

"You could have called ahead."

"No phone."

"Broke another one, huh?" He shook his head the slightest bit, rolling his eyes.

"In a manner of speaking. I didn't really want to take the time to get another."

They continued staring at each other, Helena unsure of the reception ahead of her following her unexpected arrival and Steve amused at her rare show of anxiety.

"Good book?" Helena pointed to the book under his arm, procrastinating.

"I've never read it, actually. Sorry. You tell me." He held it up.

She smiled, blushing. "Myka's I see." She paused. "A bit more worn than I remember."

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "I, huh, kind of read the inscription. Nice." He opened the cover reading the overly personal note she had written to Myka, grinning at her discomfort. "It should be an interesting find for all the grandkids. Especially Pete's; they'll be the ones trying to explain it to the rest."

"Well, it wasn't exactly intended for the intrusive eyes of others." She shifted her weight onto one hip, rolling her eyes slightly with embarrassment. "I'm surprised she let you take that particular book." She continued indignantly.

"Oh, she doesn't know, yet. She just said 'go nuts' when I asked if I could borrow a book."

"Perhaps we should just keep that between the two of us, then." She held out her hand, taking the proffered book, still red-faced. "I do believe you'll find another copy in the other room."

A quiet ease settled over them in the quiet of the inn despite her agitation.

"Myka?" She asked uneasily, looking him in his twinkling eyes.

He jerked his head towards the staircase. "Your old room."

"All right then." She forced out a full breath of air, gaining courage.

"Follow me. The stairs have shifted. Claudia and I figured out a new route."

"Shall we?" She picked up her bag following his steps, noting the slight alterations to the silent route she'd mapped out in her mind so long ago.

"You okay?" He inquired, half way up the stairs.

She paused slightly in their ascent. "Yes. I'm…okay. It's over."

They stopped at the bedroom door. Helena hesitated. Steve pulled her to him in a tight one-armed hug. "It's not locked. She hasn't had a reason to and her nightmares have been a little more frequent." He clucked like a chicken quietly, flapping his elbows, nodding towards Claudia's room. She chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"Right. Yes. Well, here goes." She blew out another breath.

"Welcome home." He whispered in the echoing hallway on his way to bed.

"Yes. Home." She looked up and down the familiar hallway, seemingly unchanged, smiling to herself. "Most definitely home."

"Helena?" He stood at his door, hand frozen on the door knob, not looking at her. "She's going to be mad at you."

She sighed deeply before squeezing through the door. "I know."

* * *

The dream never went away. It was always the same. She'd wake to find HER next to her again. Snuggled closely, wrapped around her for a security blanket, seeking protection from her own tortured dreams. Even in her dreams she would wake from the dream, fooling herself that it was actually true; warmth invading her soul, warming the fractured heart, and then finally waking to reality and the biting, cold air of the dark room. She'd started turning the heat up in the room to avoid the shock of the cold air. Artie would have a fit if he knew how warm she kept the room at night.

It was Christmas. She wasn't going to let herself be fooled. Someone would wake her early to a long day and it would soon be over. She pushed the pillow away attempting to roll over. It didn't move. She was hot. She must have turned the heat up too much. She threw her flannel top off to some unknown destination, too lazy to get up and adjust the heat. _I'm still asleep and still dreaming. I wish I could stop this. I hate the half-sleep stage._ She shoved the pillow again harder.

"Darling, please stop. It's been a very long, difficult journey to get here in time." The stubborn pillow muttered.

"No. I'm still dreaming." Myka said out loud, shaking her head trying to dislodge the dream.

She almost fell off the bed, jumping when Helena rolled over, wrapping her arms and legs around her tightly, pulling her back from the edge of the bed and preventing any more movement. Turning her head toward the manifestation she stared into dark brown, very sleepy, smiling eyes, reflecting the dim light from small lamp on the corner of the dresser.

"I'm not a dream, unless you are a dream, and after the past few days I have had, I am fairly certain you are not." Helena inhaled deeply, smiling with the heavy release of air. She closed her eyes and adjusted her head on Myka's shoulder mumbling, "You have no idea how wonderful you smell. Now go back to sleep. You can yell at me in the morning."

Myka stared wide-eyed at the ceiling lit in the soft glow from the lamp she knew she had not left on. She felt the strong clasp of arms and legs around her gradually relax. Helena fell back to sleep, dry lips parting slightly and a soft, warm air caressing her neck. If it was a dream, Myka was going to enjoy it and cry about it in the morning.

* * *

"I can feel you staring." She mumbled into the pillow.

"What?" Myka breathed, surprised.

"You heard me. I can feel you staring. I assure you I am quite real." She raised her head slightly, crossing her left arm under her head, eyes still closed. She made a fruitless effort at ridding the few stray hairs tickling her nose with her right hand.

Myka brushed away the question from her mind and reached her hand over, brushing the hair back to see the thin face, running her finger down Helena's nose to trace her lips. She found her finger lightly caught between teeth momentarily before being let go to continue its path down Helena's chin and back up around her jaw and cheek.

"I'm mad at you." She whispered.

"I know." Helena slowly opened her eyes.

"You didn't tell me the truth." Myka's hand continued down the lean back, physically testing its solidity.

"I tried. You couldn't hear me." She pulled herself over Myka's warm body kissing her softly, settling comfortably between the welcoming legs wrapping themselves around her own.

"I'm still mad at you." Both hands sought out to squeeze firm buttocks before lightly scrapping her finger nails up Helena's back and across her shoulders. Using her thumbs, she rubbed out the growing creases in the forehead above her. "What makes you think I even want you in my bed?"

"I'll correct you just this once. It remains **our** bed. Though, I do recall ours being significantly larger than this one." Helena continued placing soft kisses haphazardly anywhere she could find bare skin. "Anyway, we can rectify that slight detail in the near future I hope. Yes?"

"It's over at the house along with everything else. It doesn't seem like you're that upset with the smaller accommoda…" She was silenced with a long kiss before a wet trail continued up her neck. "I am so mad at you." Myka breathed, hands continuing to explore the solid form above her, belying her words.

"I know." Helena whispered in the ear above her lips before biting its lobe. "Do you think we might just, perhaps, continue this particular conversation later?" She buried her nose deep into Myka's neck inhaling deeply. "I have more important things on my mind at the moment."

"No. Get off of me. You can't just show up and expect…things to be normal." She tried to protest.

Helena raised herself slightly, smiling into the green eyes. "You're frowning. That little wrinkle in your forehead is showing. I would think by now it was well established that there is absolutely nothing normal about us, darling. And you really do want me here." She continued exploring Myka's neck, ignoring the false protest. "From what I heard earlier, you were dreaming about me."

"We really need to work on that ego. What makes you so sure? I don't want you here." Myka tried to wiggle her way out from under the body that had overcome her senses.

Helena raised her head again, amused. She let her hand creep lower, nails dragging along Myka's side and over her hip on its way between them, crawling beneath the flannel bottoms, making her final argument. She smiled smugly, at the sudden gasp Myka tried to squelch when she found the profuse wetness, exploring its source.

"My point, exactly." Helena smirked.

"That's just a natural reaction to stimu…"

Helena leaned in to cover the argumentative mouth, exploring thoroughly and enjoying every flavor she had missed and worried over.

"That's still my favorite method of hushing you. Let's see how quiet you can remain and for how long, shall we? It is Christmas morning I believe, if I've been able to keep my days straight. I promised you I will always come home. You can yell at me later."

Myka gave in, digging her hands in the long, thick hair that had invaded her dreams for weeks. Helena was right. It was Christmas morning.

* * *

Some things never changed, Myka thought dozing under Helena's full weight. The building was silent except for the occasional creak from the heater. Of their own accord, her fingers sketched an invisible picture on Helena's back and shoulders. She reached out to the side catching the corner of the down comforter, with only partial success, to pull it over them as best she could. The extra heat in the room didn't make it necessary, but it was cozier. Abandoning the failed attempt, her hands continued their previous artistic endeavors, stopping short on Helena's left shoulder blade. She traced it back and forth confused. The jagged scar she'd become so intimate with was gone. She looked to her left at the arm confining her. The scar on her forearm was reduced to a fine red line. It would fade with time.

Myka smiled. Not only was Helena nearly ambidextrous again, which had been expertly demonstrated, but apparently some plastic surgery had occurred as well. Vanessa's doing she knew. Helena could be vain at times, but she never complained over her scars. Vanessa fussed over the forearm more than Helena ever did. Her hands, distracted from her canvas, stilled as she dozed off again, content for the moment under the steady breathing of the increasing weight upon her that she refused to complain about today.

* * *

"Does anyone know when she got here?" Claudia shuffled in blindly, but beaming, reaching for the coffee. "Jinxy, I really hope you have ear plugs hidden somewhere. They are so moving into that house tonight."

"Merry Christmas to you too, Sunshine!" Steve exclaimed brightly. "She broke in sometime after midnight. I caught her in the act. Just about gave the old lady a coronary I think. I couldn't sleep and was reading down here."

"You little rat fink. You had ear plugs and let the rest of us suffer! Just for that I'm going to tell her you called her 'the old lady' again." Claudia drank half the cup of coffee hoping for a quick caffeine surge, before filling the cup again. "Oh, and look what the cat dragged in." Claudia laughed gesturing with her mug and pulling out another as Abigail blindly flopped down in a chair, dropping her head on the table with a heavy thud.

"Really? I know you all tried to tell me what it was like, but seriously? I thought you were exaggerating! That was unreal. They are moving out tonight!" She lifted her head as Claudia approached. "Give me that coffee." She growled grabbing the mug.

Pete came scooting in, sliding across the floor in his socks. "Hey, Merry Christmas! She's really here! HG is home. She's really here! When did she get here?"

"I take it you had ear plugs, too?" Claudia glared at him across the table.

"Well, yeah. One learns to keep those things handy at all times." Pete cocked his head evaluating the two women grumbling at the table. "Oh, ouch. You didn't. Abigail I get, but you, Claud?"

"Yeah, me. I was too happy HG was back to pound on the door. Not that that ever stopped them before. I'm glad Joshua took one of the guest houses. Oh, crap." Her hand suddenly stopped, half way to her mouth for another caffeine hit. "Please tell me Myka's parents are deaf. Uh, they aren't going to do the Christmas thing and...?"

The squeal from above caused them to jump. Steve was the first headed up the stairs.

"Emily Lake strikes again." Claudia laughed bolting close on Pete's heels.

* * *

"Bloody Hell!" Helena shouted, finding herself thrown on the floor from a sound sleep. "Who the bloody Hell are you, and what the fuck are you doing in our bedroom?" She exclaimed at the sight of the two strangers frozen in shock, staring at her naked on the floor. She found herself quickly covered by the down comforter and having to dig herself out from underneath it, still flat on her bottom.

Myka just as quickly scrambled to find the tangled sheet and wrap it up around herself after throwing the comforter over her shocked lover on the cold floor. "Uh, mom, dad, I think you should…"

"Honey, why is there a naked woman on your floor?" Myka's mother asked completely bewildered.

"Mom…"

"Who the Hell are you?" Mr. Bering was coldly staring at Helena on the floor.

Steve caught himself in the door frame as Pete slid by, back tracking to a stop beside him, grinning hugely. "Hey, HG. Glad you finally made it. It's about damned time."

"Merry Christmas, HG! Hey, you too, Myka!" Claudia was jumping up and down trying to see over the mass of people in front of her.

Abigail wiggled her way between the excited and amused friends, grabbing hold of Myka's mother's arm. "Mr. and Mrs. Bering, why don't you come down to the kitchen for some coffee? Claudia was just about ready to make a new pot and Steve," she elbowed him in the side as he stood smirking at the scene, "was just about ready to start making a great Christmas breakfast. Everyone else should be joining us soon."

Helena looked up at Myka's horrified face from the floor. "Mr. and Mrs. Bering? Mom and dad?" She dropped her head on her now raised knees. "Oh, shit."

Abigail managed to pull Myka's parents away, turning to the rest of the crew still laughing in the doorway at the scene. "I said breakfast was being made and we know I'm not making it!" She spoke sternly.

"Yeah, right." The three said unanimously, giggling. Steve started to pull the door shut, but not before Pete got his last dig in.

"Someone's got some 'splaining to do, Lucy."

Helena fell back on the floor laughing. "I must say, Myka, I've had awkward introductions to my lover's parent's in the past, but I do believe this was the worst. Hey!" A pillow smacked her flat in her face.

"It's not funny! Those are my parents and I just had my worst nightmare come true."

Helena was off the floor pulling the comforter behind her and throwing herself at Myka, still laughing. Pushing Myka flat on her back before rolling over with her, Helena tangled them further in the covers, holding Myka tightly against her. "You've dreamt of this before; your parents walking in on you with, apparently, an unknown female lover, on Christmas morning? I know your nightmares, dearest, and I don't recall that once being one of them." Helena kissed away the oncoming protest. "Is it just me or do we seem to attract an inordinate number of interruptions to our sex life?" She whispered in her ear.

"This isn't funny, Helena! And we weren't having sex, thank God." Myka struggled to get out of the tight hold.

"If I had not been soundly sleeping, I assure you, we would most definitely have been exploring the more intimate side of our relationship. You do have to admit, it is just a bit funny." She quickly caught a short kiss before being pushed away.

"You were the one that snuck into my room in the middle of the night. Why didn't you lock the door?"

"I didn't realize I needed to. Our family finds a way in regardless. And why is it, I'm the one that always ends up naked on the floor?" Helena pulled her back, still smiling with her amusement at the awkward situation.

"Because, you're the one that turned into a mush and likes to fall asleep on me. You should have locked the door." She pushed away out of Helena's strong hold, struggling to free herself from the confines of the covers. "I need to go talk to them."

"What did you do with my pajamas?" Myka gave up looking for her pajamas and furiously searched through the dresser drawers for something suitable to wear.

Helena stopped laughing, watching from the middle of the bed, wrapped tightly in the comforter.

"Myka, please stop. After all this time, you haven't told them?" Helena asked seriously, stopping Myka's progress. "I assumed, incorrectly it seems, that you had. I'm not criticizing, and perhaps I should be just a bit hurt, but after all this time and everything we've been through, how is it that you have not told them anything?" She got out of bed to dress as well, unsure of herself as well as where any of her clothing was. She certainly didn't want the pile on the floor she arrived in during the night. "I did wonder why I never met them or why we never saw them, but I knew you have an uneasy relationship as it is, and honestly, I've never been in a position in which family relations were required, so I never asked." Giving up on the search for clothes, she sat back on the edge of the bed, still wrapped in the comforter.

"I don't know. I didn't know Pete made them part of his big Christmas bash until Artie made him tell me a week ago. You weren't here…"

"And now I am." Silence hung heavily in the room as they both stared at the floor. She looked up forlornly at Myka, who suddenly found the ding on the door frame from a rock more interesting than the floor, trying to rub it out. "I finally find my way home from being used as a mouse for the cat, so you can finally have me for Christmas for the first time and I've once again become Artie's complication." Helena admitted, feeling beaten.

"Please, don't think that. It's my doing, not yours." Myka hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "I love you and love that you are here, but I need to get downstairs." She kissed her quickly and went through the door.

"Then why do I feel like the proverbial third wheel suddenly?" Helena asked the room. She sighed and looked in vain around the room.

"Myka?!"

"Oh, for crying out loud. I'm a creature of habit, Helena. Have you not figured that out after all this time? You've been pinching my clothes forever. Top left drawer. And I'm taking you shopping." Myka shouted through the door from the hallway.

"I hate shopping and so do you." She yelled back, frustrated.

Myka put her head through the door. "I know and I don't care. My parents are here and you need to wear something to bed. You've lost weight again and mine are not really going to stay on you for long."

"I would hope not! Darling, I hardly think your parents are going to be entering our bedroom unannounced again anytime soon. I promise you they will not stay on for long. I'm sleeping naked next to you as you will be me. My body is experiencing severe withdrawal. I've slept in clothes too long already." Helena laughed pulling on a tee shirt, rummaging for her sweatshirt in the lower drawer as Myka shut the door on her. "Where is my sweatshirt?" She called down the hallway.

Myka stopped halfway down the staircase, sighing. Heading back up, she stopped at the top of the stairs cringing at Helena's unabashed, half-dressed state. "Please, just go back in the room and wait. All of your clothing is at the…house."

"House?"

"Uh, yeah, we'll get back to that. Right now," she rummaged through her drawers and handed her an old sweatshirt, "I hope you have something for the bottom half. You really need a shower. You smell like sex and have that fresh fucked look." Myka looked her up and down close to laughing now.

"Then you'll have to join me, because unfortunately, darling, so do you. As much as our family is oddly used to that particular presentation, and at all times of the day, I don't think it makes for a very good first impression for your parents."

"Uh, I'd say all bets are off on the first impression." Myka said wryly.

"Myka, it's not my fault you kept me a secret. And whose parents walk into their adult daughter's bedroom like that?"

"Parents who last saw their daughter going to bed early, alone, and thought they'd wake her up for Christmas morning, much to the amusement of the rest of our family. How'd they know you were here anyway?"

"I would guess how they've always known; by the sounds emanating from this room. Actually, Steve did catch me breaking in last night. He was kind enough to lead me through the new silent route up the stairs. Myka, we really do need to shower first and I need some real clothes."

There was a knock on the door.

Helena raised her eyebrows in surprise as Myka turned to open the door. "Someone's actually knocking on our door?"

Two hands pushed their way through the open door from the side holding a stack of clothes. "Huh, yeah, so, we can kind of hear you downstairs. You might want to consider turning it down a notch. Sounded like you could use these, HG. Hope it's all parent proof."

Myka grabbed them. "Thanks, Claud. Umm, is everything okay? Can we maybe take a shower first?"

"Uh, yeah. It's a little awkward, but that's really nothing new here when you guys are around, so yeah, I think that shower would be a really good idea considering what I saw. Just make it quick and don't go into phase two. Not sure how long Abigail can keep up the small talk and Pete's mom just got here, so you know how that can go and we really want to get to open some presents sometime today. Of course, some of us started unwrapping their gifts a little…"

"Good-bye, Claudia." Myka slammed the door shut, throwing the lock.

Myka glared at Helena, handing her the stack of clothes on her way to turn on the water. "Stop laughing. It's not that funny."

"Oh, darling, it's outrageously amusing. It's just another story to tell the grandkids."

"What?" Myka asked over the sound of the warming water.

"Nothing." She followed into the bathroom.

* * *

Myka stopped at the top of the stairs. Pete was sitting on the bottom stair waiting, playing with a paper Christmas decoration Claudia and Joshua had made for the table. She slowly descended sitting down next to him.

"They're in the office." He handed her a large mug of coffee. "Thought you could use this. I think the kitchen was getting a little uncomfortable for them, even with Abigail there to direct the conversation and well, mom wasn't really helping. I think she was kind of confusing them more and let's face it, my mom knew, and they didn't."

"Thanks." She drained half of the mug. She sighed heavily, placing her head in her hands, bracing her elbows on her knees, procrastinating.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know, Pete, what do you think? My parents just barged in on me and my female lover, who, by the way, was born in 1866, that they didn't know I had and lived with for, oh, almost three years now, and the rest of my so-called family seems to think it's hysterical. I'm guessing I've been better."

"You guys weren't, you know…in the middle of…'cause it was pretty quiet from down here compared to earl…"

"No, Pete! We were sleeping! Helena had no idea what was going on, beyond being tossed off the bed from a sound sleep, for the second time in my memory, when my parents scared the crap out of me barging in crying 'Merry Christmas' expecting their little girl to wake up all happy. We're lucky there was nothing within reach, of either hand, for her to throw at them. Why did you invite them?"

"Why didn't you tell them?" Pete asked simply.

"Arrgh!" She pushed her forehead into the palm of her hand, rubbing the spot between her eyes. "I don't know. It never came up in conversation?"

"It never came up in conversation? Aww, come on, Myka, I thought they knew. I wondered why they never asked about her. They did sort of have that blank expression on their faces whenever she came up in conversation, which now that I think about it, you did a really good job of avoiding. Huh. Every year you had Christmas with them 'cause HG was out playing 007. It's been how long now? After everything you two have been through together, you never told them? How did you hide all of that?"

"Lots of practice? You know that. So, stop lecturing me."

"I'm not lecturing. I'm just trying to understand. I just…I know you've never had the easiest of relationships with them, but it's kind of a kick in the gut to HG, and them. She's a pretty awesome person, when she's not trying to blow the world up and all, that is. I guess it's time for you to grow up and share a little of your life with them. You know I'm here for you, but the real person that's here for you is upstairs. No matter what, she's always come back to you and she always will. Even when you're a jerk."

He stood up, the decoration a mashed mess. "Guess it's time for you to go face them. Don't worry. They love you. They're here, aren't they? They'll get it. Just maybe don't mention the 1866 part." He punched her gently in the shoulder. "Go get'em, Tiger. Defend your lady's honor."

"Yeah, right." She stood up behind him. "I really have to do this, don't I?"

"Well, I don't think it's really much of a secret now. An 'I'm sorry' might be a good start."

"Pete's right, Myka." Helena spoke from the top the stairs. "It's always a good place to start."

"How long have you been standing there?" Myka asked watching her slowly descend to stand before her in her thick socks.

"Not long. You do make it ever so difficult for me when I am forced to agree with him."

Myka gently took Helena's face in her hands looking deeply into the brown eyes, unable to decipher their emotions. She'd shut them off. Despite the amusement and her denial, Myka realized she was hurting. She kissed her gently, placing her forehead against the one in her hands. "I'm sorry, Helena."

Helena smiled sadly. "I know. It's okay. I'm sorry, too."

"I guess we have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, we do, but not today. Please? It's Christmas. It took me five days to get here thanks to Mother Nature. Let's allow ourselves this one day of reprieve."

"It hasn't exactly been peaceful." Myka chucked nervously.

"From what I remember, family Christmas's rarely are." She tapped the tip of Myka's nose before caressing her cheek. "I can't claim of having ever thought of having to meet a lover's parents before. Well, at least not formally, that is."

"You are a rogue." Myka stood back, picking the coffee off the table she'd set it on.

"No. I used to be a rogue. I allowed someone to tame me and she must now face her parents." She took Myka's coffee cup, taking a healthy draught. "How can you drink this?" She smiled, eyes bright with mischief. Leaning forward she whispered in her ear, "It's so much better when it is yours."

"Come with me?" Myka pleaded softly.

"Ahhh, no. This you must face alone. And I certainly have no intention of entering that room without a proper cup of tea in my system. Come get me when you are ready. I also recommend you not mention the 1866 part. I don't wish to be accused of being a cradle robber. Now go." She gave Myka a healthy swat on her butt walking towards the kitchen.

"That behavior is on hold, Missy." She called to the retreating back.

Helena stopped at the door smirking. "Oh, I don't think so, darling. Claudia will want us out of that room tonight and back home where we belong. I suspect she's already put fresh sheets on that bed of ours."

"Saucy wench!"

"I concur, but perhaps you should pay closer attention to whom is standing behind you when making such accusations. I do need that tea."

Helena shut the kitchen door behind her as Myka slowly turned around to face her father standing in the doorway.

"Shit."


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

A/N: As always, thank you for your comments and reviews. They are always appreciated and thoughtfully considered. They help keep me on track at times and always honest. Keep crying, keep laughing. Without one, you can't have the other.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to all who have expressed concern about my well-being over the past weeks due to my lack of updates. Your inquiries and concern is appreciated and heartwarming. All is well as it can be, Hell seems to be melting, life is loosening its grips and the coffee industry gave me a special award of thanks. I hope it was worth the wait. Cheers.

* * *

"Does everyone around here swear this much?" Myka's father accused, standing in the office door, hands on his hips.

"Uh, I guess when things get kind of stressful, which I've done a really good job in doing, yes. Dad, can we just go in the office, please?" Myka motioned towards the door.

Myka waited for him to turn around before letting out the air she'd been holding. She could hear the cheers of warm welcome from the kitchen announcing Helena's arrival. Reluctantly, she entered the room that held so many memories yet to be reconciled. Its own particular smell attacked her senses with her first step into the room, causing her to steady herself with a grip on the door knob after she shut the door.

"What kind of woman goes around slapping my daughter's behind?" Her father turned on her.

"What?" Myka's mother sat up in the chair shocked.

"Uh, well, not exactly the first question I expected, but if that's where you want to start…" Myka swallowed hard. "The same kind of woman that I've seen that slaps yours, dad, when no one thought we were around." Myka saw her mother blush and look away. "It may not seem like it, but that was actually a compliment, mom. I don't go around letting just anyone touch my ass. Sorry. I mean behind. Now, can we maybe start this over?" She pleaded, looking to the ceiling for help.

He looked away, crossing his arms and sitting down hard on the sofa. "I'd also say one that everyone else in the world seems to know except us. Are we some sort of joke to you all now? Even that Jane woman knew who this HG person was. All of your friends are probably laughing at us now. Everyone but you has talked about her since we got here yesterday. You could have said something then! What kind of name is 'HG' anyway?" He grumbled.

"HG is just kind of a nickname they all call her, and she'll probably insist on you calling her that, too. I didn't think she was actually going to be here. I haven't heard from her in a while. She just…showed up last night. And those people are my family, too. They didn't know I never told you about her. Right now, I'd say most of them are pretty upset with me for that. If anyone is being laughed at, dad, it's definitely me, not you."

"So, who is she?" Her mother asked. "Are you really, you know…that way? Why didn't you tell us? Why such a big secret?" Hands clasped tightly in her lap, the woman's eyes pleaded, full of questioning pain.

"This is kind of more of what I was expecting." Myka mumbled, unable to look in those eyes any longer and started pacing around the area rug. "Mom, dad, I know I should have done this a long time ago. A really, really long time ago. So can I just talk first? Maybe there will be fewer questions in the end and we can just enjoy Christmas. I got a really special present last night, which right now I really don't deserve, and I've pretty much ruined it. So can we get this over with so maybe we can salvage something of today? I'd like to get back to enjoying it. Hopefully with you."

"Fine." Her father said gruffly after a moment of awkward silence.

Myka took a deep breath and looked away, rapidly firing out words. "Okay. So, first of all, I'm really, really sorry. I should have told you a long time ago, but when have I ever told you about anyone? She wasn't meant to be some big secret. It's just kind of a habit. A really, really bad one right now, but let's face it, we don't really talk about this stuff. So, yeah, I'm really sorry. I never meant to hurt either of you, or her, and I guess I just thought someday I'd tell you. So, guess what? Today's the day." She chucked harshly, rubbing the bridge of her nose, fighting the oncoming headache.

"Is this funny to you?" Her dad almost yelled.

"Warren, let her speak." Her mother put a hand on his arm.

"No, dad. Trust me, funny is the furthest thing from my mind. I'd say downright horrified would be more accurate. I think my morning has been just as traumatic as yours!" She ran her hands through her hair, shaking her head clear of the images from the morning. "If not more." She added under her breath.

"That's an understatement." He muttered under his own breath.

"Dad, please?" She paused. Seeing she had his attention, she continued pacing, setting off in another whirlwind. "So here's the cliff notes version. We met a few years ago through work. In London. She came to work here with us for awhile…sometime after. She spent another year or so…not working here, sort of, and then came back and…" Myka looked up at her parents to see two confused faces looking back.

"This really isn't easy to explain. A lot of our work is involved and…It…I…" She stumbled over her words. She threw up her arms in frustration and flopped down in one of the remaining chairs, blowing out a burst of air. "I love her, okay? That's basically it. We've been together for almost three years now, in one way or another. We live together, we eat together, we fight together…and boy can we fight together…we laugh together, we sleep together and everything else that goes with that…"

She stopped suddenly, eyes opening wide, face burning. She dropped her forehead into her hand staring at the floor muttering in shock. "Oh, God. I can't believe I just said that. Did I really just say that? Not that this morning left that in doubt, but I did. I really did. Oh, my God. I really did actually just say that." She sat in disbelief.

"Sweetie," her mom broke the silence smiling warmly, resting a hand gently on Myka's violently bobbing knee. "I think we get the idea. It's okay."

"Mom, I don't know if I'm a lesbian or not. I really don't care. All I know is I love her. Just her. She just happens to be a woman. I love her and I can't imagine loving anyone else. You know I've had relationships with men. We never really talked about them either. I even really loved one before and I never told you about him." She stopped and looked at them both, relaxing slightly. "Look, we're making a life together. The house in the back, the biggest one, is ours. I haven't been staying there because she's been gone, but all of our stuff is there. It's just not as lonely here with everyone else around. We always end up over here when the other is away for a long time. These people are my family, too."

"I also never told you we moved to Atlanta. She had a severe injury to her left hand because of work and she needed to work with a specialist. She opted for a second surgery and I couldn't be with her. I hated it. She's been gone for a month and finally got back last night. Kind of big surprise there. We haven't even had time to talk yet. And…and it's Christmas and I'm so, so sorry I never said anything before."

They all sat in an awkward silence not looking at each other, Myka trying to catch her breath.

"Please, say something." Myka pleaded.

"What else have you never told us?" Her mother asked quietly.

"I don't know. Probably a lot. That's kind of how things work with us." She sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead against the now very present headache.

"I thought we'd gotten beyond that? Why do you think we came out for this Christmas thing?" Her father asked sadly, looking at the floor.

"Well, it's not something that changes over night, dad. Let's face it; we don't do the family thing very well. It was just easier. It just happens that this was a really big thing and I should have told you. I'm sorry. How many times do I have to say that today?"

Silence crept over the room again. An occasional voice or laugh reached them from the kitchen. Her father coughed, bringing her attention back to her own drama.

"Does she have a name? I mean, besides 'HG'?" Her mother asked quietly.

Myka laughed slightly. "Yes. It's Helena. Helena Wells."

"A Brit too, huh? Seems to have a pretty foul mouth." Her father complained.

"Yes, she's British and under the circumstances this morning, dad, I think you'd have had a few choice words coming out of your mouth, too, if you suddenly had two strangers unexpectedly barging into your bedroom. I'm pretty familiar with your many expletives. I think you'll find that she actually has the charm and manners of a…of a true Victorian woman, almost."

"Does her family know? About the two of you? Were we the only ones kept in the dark?" Her father asked gruffly.

"She doesn't have any family. We, all of us here, we are her family." Myka stated simply, trying to avoid any further discussion.

The silence hung heavily. It always did in this room. Myka shook her head, trying again to clear the memories resurfacing. She hated this room. It seemed like a prison. One in which she was sure she was being condemned in by her parents.

"Look, dad, I…"

"Now just you hold on." He stopped her in mid-sentence not really sure he knew what he wanted to say. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. "What's done is done. I can't say it doesn't hurt us and it's not really very respectful of her…HG. It's not the who or the what, Myka." He waved his hand off to the side. "Eh, who cares about that stuff? As long as it is a good person that makes you happy. It's the not telling. I'm sitting here listening to my daughter tell us she's in love with someone and was too afraid to share that. A parent wants to be able to share the good things with their kids. They want their kids to be happy. We've lost years of being able to enjoy your happiness and the person who is responsible for it. Maybe you'll understand when, if, you have kids of your own. Everyone here knew but us, and that hurts. Especially on Christmas. Not to mention it could have saved us all a lot of embarrassment this morning. Poor girl, having to meet your parents like that. But, you're right; this family thing doesn't change overnight. Habits are a hard thing to break. I'm trying to break this one."

Her father stood up facing his daughter. "We love you, even if I haven't done the best job in showing it. We were excited that Pete invited us for Christmas. We wanted to be here. Why else would we have closed the store? Your mother thought he was a special person since he was doing the calling. Guess that's not the case." He chuckled.

"Pete is a special person, just not in the way you thought. He's kind of more like the annoying little puppy special."

"You're strong and independent and we're proud of you for that. I guess I can see why you kept it to yourself. We're trying, Myka. Is it so much to ask for you to try, too? We're here, aren't we?" He paused, thinking in the silence. "So, do we get to meet this person everyone seems so happy to have back or not? I for one want to meet the person that finally managed to get your attention, and apparently your ass too." He laughed.

"Dad!"

* * *

"Woo hoo!" Pete screeched from across the kitchen running to slide to a halt in his now dirty socks, picking up HG and swinging her around in his arms in an air constricting hug. "It's about time you got here. Why didn't you tell us? Would have saved everyone a lot of trouble this morning, not to mention you wouldn't have ended up naked on the floor, as funny as that is."

"Who ended up naked on the floor?" Artie asked shaking the snow off his hat and wiping the fog from his glasses, Vanessa beside him. He looked up putting his glasses on. "Oh, you. I should have known. Now what did you do?"

"Me? I did absolutely nothing wrong. I merely came home. And no fun trip that was, I assure you."

"Where's Myka?" He looked around the kitchen. "Where are her parents? What did you do to them?"

"Why is everything always my fault?" Helena asked eyes wide.

"Artie stop." Vanessa walked over wrapping her arms around the thin body. "Merry Christmas, Helena. You're too thin, again. Good to have you back…home did you say?" She gave her a questioning look.

"Still to be decided. I only got in late last night. We have not had, uhm, much time to actually talk." She said softly in the taller woman's ear.

"That sounds about right." Vanessa grinned. "So where is breakfast? And where is Myka?"

"Food's over here." Steve waved, chef hat sitting precariously on his head; an early gift from Claudia.

"Myka and her parents are having a little, uh, what would you call it guys?" Claudia looked around.

Pete snickered behind his hand. "Uh, yeah. Myka apparently never told the parents-aye about the wife-aye." He said pointing at HG. "You missed all the excitement."

"What you mean is complication." Artie grumbled in his coffee. "Oo, ah, oh, what are you doing?"

"Stop it, Artie." Vanessa poked him in the side one more time.

"Telling you, Artie, we are surrounded by violent women." He eyed HG across the room glaring at him, tea cup frozen in mid-sip. "Ahem. Did I say violent? What I mean are forth right, strong, independent and upstanding citizens of…"

"Put a sock in it, Pete. You're just digging yourself deeper." His mother smacked the back of his head. "It appears that Myka never told her parents about HG and is in the middle of what I am sure is a rather uncomfortable discussion. I don't think my arrival did much to help since I assumed they did know."

"Not nearly as exciting as this morning, though." Claudia mumbled.

"I'll ask one more time. What did you do?" Artie glared at HG.

"I did nothing!" She declared, still defensive. "I was sound asleep. Myka is the one that threw me on the floor when her parents barged in on us."

"Like that's never happened before. At least there were no rocks involved this time." Claudia muttered under her breath, receiving a light swat on her head from HG.

Vanessa started laughing. "Oh, no. They didn't? I'm sorry. It's not funny, but it really is."

"Well, Myka didn't find it nearly as amusing as I did. Although, the real issue at hand is rather tricky I'd say."

"Myka never told them. I assumed she did. She always went there for Christmas because you were gone. Hmm." Artie rubbed his face. "This should be interesting. Well, that explains why Myka avoided talking about you and why they seemed so confused when you came up in conversation."

"We all thought they knew." Steve handed plates to the new comers.

"Myself included." HG commented sadly, playing with the ring recently returned to her left hand, finishing her tea.

Claudia broke the ensuing silence. "So where have you been? What happened? And what's with this Michael dude that Myka keeps complaining about?"

"Well, as Myka and I have had little time to talk," Pete snorted in the background, "I'd prefer to hold off on that discussion until she and I have had time to deliberate."

"You mean argue." Claudia interrupted.

Helena rolled her eyes. Claudia was probably more accurate.

"It is Christmas after all. I am sorry, but I didn't really have any time to get presents for anyone. I was supposed to be here three days ago, but the bloody weather kept interrupting my plans. I ended up ditching the last flight, rented a car and drove out of the storm to get here."

"HG, I think you are our present." Steve set another cup of tea in front of her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back into his welcoming warmth as he kissed the top of her head.

"You mean you won't tell us anything?" Claudia whined. "What about the bionic hand? What did Myka say when she saw it?"

"I'd hardly call it a bionic hand. It simply works better than it did, which is saying a great deal. Hopefully, if all goes well, I should be writing with it as well."

"Aren't you supposed to be in a brace?" Vanessa asked slyly.

"Yes. Well, there is that." Helena shrugged. "Must have forgotten in all the excitement this morning."

"And what did Myka say when she saw it?" She asked again.

"Myka hasn't actually examined it yet. We've not really had a lot of time to talk this morning. It's been a rather irregular morning if you recall. I arrived quite late last night, fully exhausted."

"Oh, it sounded like she had a lot to say about it." Pete snorted.

"Oh, I so did not need to be reminded of that. It was bad enough the first time." Claudia complained.

"Well, you did ask." Steve commented, drinking his tea, eyes bright looking over the table at a now smirking Helena.

"As far as everything else, I am sorry, Claudia. I'd prefer to just enjoy the day with my family. We have a great deal to discuss and much has happened in the past few months. But it can wait."

"You don't know the half of it." Claudia said under her breath.

"What's that?" Helena turned her head to the now quiet woman looking off in the other direction.

"Uh, Helena, would you come here, please?" Myka called from down the hallway.

"Oooo. Time to meet the parents…" Pete crooned.

"Oh, Pete, stop that." Jane swatted his arm. "Wait until it's you."

He stared at her, rubbing his arm.

Helena stood slowly, clutching her tea tightly.

"Helena?" Myka stood at the kitchen door, all eyes trained on them from their various places in the kitchen.

She looked at Myka quickly before focusing on the floor. She laughed nervously. "Suddenly I find myself quite anxious."

Abigail smiled at her. "That's because this time it matters."

"Helena, please?" Myka asked nervously.

"Well, here we go then. Wish me luck." She turned sharply and stiffly followed behind Myka.

"Who was that and what did they do with my HG?" Claudia asked.

"That, Claudia," Artie spoke up trying to hold back a smug smile, "Is a nearly 150 year old HG Wells, who despite all of her skill, brilliance and experience, for the first time in her life has to meet the parents."

Vanessa turned her head sharply at his amusement. "Artie stop. Show a little compassion."

Pete laughed. "Yeah. Myka's wife is meeting the parents. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that room."

"Pete, you stop, too." Abigail admonished. "I don't care who you are. That's a really big deal."

"Yeah, especially when it's taken this long to happen." Claudia snorted.

* * *

Myka came in from the kitchen, getting pushed out from clean up duty.

"Got kicked out too, huh?" Steve smiled.

"Yeah. The mommy brigade took over. Where is everybody? Where's Helena?"

Steve lifted his head from his book, feet warming by the fire. "Oh, Pete, Joshua and Claudia, went to the Pete cave. Artie and Vanessa are 'out for a walk'." Myka raised her eyebrows at that. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Your dad walked in the opposite direction." He chuckled. "I sent HG upstairs to lie down. She started to nod off in mid-sentence. I'm not sure how she's still standing on two feet at this point. I still can't believe it took her five days to get here. Your morning wasn't exactly the perfect way to wake up to Christmas. No stress there. It was amusing, though. She's still complaining about 'breaking her bum'. How exactly did she end up on the floor again?"

"None of your business!" She glared back at his infuriatingly smug grin.

"Sounded like it was a nice surprise." He continued to grin, ignoring the glare. "Glad I still have ear plugs."

"Ha, ha. I guess it could have been worse." Myka mused.

Steve laughed out loud. "Yeah. I could have NOT had ear plugs. Ouch." He rubbed his arm. "I deserved that. So yeah, I guess so, but I'm not really sure how."

"My parents could have stormed off or ended up hating her, or me. Well, I guess the jury is still out on that one. At least they are trying to talk to her. And Helena is tolerating, however stiffly, mom's over compensation by trying to hug her every five minutes. One more grandkid comment, though, and she may knock her down. I think mom and dad are still trying to digest Helena's comment over the electric blanket they gave me when I tried to explain to her what it was for. Ignore the fact I had to explain it."

Steve laughed again. "Yep. That was pretty classic HG. 'I thought that was what I was for? Warming you up has never been a problem before.' Of course, her asking you if that meant she didn't have to resort to wearing pajamas to stay warm when you were away anymore really struck home for them."

"Yeah. It's going to be an adjustment that's for damn sure." Myka sat on the sofa, staring at the teddy bear. Helena's continued glances at it had not gone unnoticed. Myka thought it odd she hadn't mentioned it considering the attention she'd given it. She glanced over at Steve. "Watch ya' reading?"

He lifted the cover of a worn book. "The Time Machine. I've never read it. It's pretty good. Scored some points with HG, too." He smiled.

"That's not MY book, is it?" Myka blushed, remembering she gave him the okay to raid their library the night before.

"No. I got it from the office. Why?" He asked straight faced.

"Oh, no reason. No reason at all." The growing flush rose from her neck to her face.

"You do know I know you're lying, right?" He smiled now.

"Uh, well, yeah. So, none of your business. I'm going to go check on Helena." She bounced off the sofa abruptly, burning.

"Sounds like a good idea. I'll just sit down here with the mommy brigade." He chuckled as she headed up the stairs.

She squeezed through the door quietly, smiling at the sleeping form sprawled across the whole bed. Shaking her head, she stripped down, and wiggled her way under the covers. Helena instinctively moved over to her own side of the bed in her sleep, mumbling an unintelligible story into the pillow. Myka snuggled up closer draping her arm over the warm body. Sharing the same pillow, she buried her face in the back of Helena's neck. Oh, the temptation, she thought smiling.

The quick jerk next to her head woke Myka up. A hand came up again swatting the tickle in her ear from Myka's breath. The arm came up all together next, wrapping itself around its head, protecting the annoyed ear from the intrusion.

Myka lay back propping her head up and watched the production, grinning. Helena had begun to twist into another pretzel in her sleep. The right leg had dropped off the edge of the bed with her foot sticking out from the edge of the covers. As if her feet didn't get cold enough, Myka thought. With that thought, the left leg bent back, cold toes brushing against Myka's knee. The woman would always have cold feet. Myka carefully took the foot, placing it under her own leg. The temptation to stroke the now easily accessible soft inner thigh almost physically hurt. Her ear left alone, both hands tucked up under her chin as she rolled to her back, shifting her left leg to a more comfortable angle. Helena turned her face towards Myka, lips parted in sleep. Now that she thought about it, the only time her lips weren't parted was when she was angry or deep in thought.

No longer able to resist the temptation, she snuck her hand under the covers to trail her fingers down from Helena's sternum between the curled hands and around her belly to rest the palm of her hand above her navel. This was where she could feel the pulse of her life. This was where she'd watch her aortic pulse when Helena pushed the covers down to her waist in the summer.

"I can feel you staring. I'm still here. Promise." Helena mumbled, eyes closed.

Myka froze. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Myka remained unmoving.

"Not really. Simply enjoying your touch. I've missed it." Helena worked her hand under Myka's arm, resting it on her hip.

"Is that so?"

"I'm sure if you move your hand a little lower you'll find out how much." Helena smirked, her eyes still closed.

Myka sharply drew her hand away from Helena's abdomen and grabbed the hand resting on her hip. "My parents are downstairs." She chastised.

"That didn't seem to be a problem when they were down the hallway this morning." Helena mumbled into the pillow again, rolling over onto her stomach.

"Helena!" Myka pulled away completely.

"I'd much prefer to do the exploring myself, but I'm too tired to enjoy it."

"Even if I do this?" Myka leaned over nibbling the back of her neck.

Helena groaned, biting the pillow. "You are so evil." She complained. "And yes, I'm still too tired. I feel like I could sleep for a week." She turned her head to look at Myka, eyes half closed. "Do you have any idea what I went through to get here? I was supposed to be here three days ago. I actually gave up a flight to get a hotel room just to shower and change. No matter. It never got off the ground."

"No, I don't. We haven't really had a chance to talk. Your efforts are appreciated. I never did say thank you." She stroked the soft skin of the arm whose hand lay beneath the pillow.

She grunted in response and grinned broadly. "I'd say you succeeded well enough without words. We have a rental car to return by the way. No bloody way was I sitting grounded in yet another airport. Drove out of the beastly thing instead." She started to fade off.

"I'll let you go back to sleep." Myka started to get up, but Helena held fast to her hand.

"Nooo. Please don't." Helena lifted her head slightly with her complaint, letting it fall back into its protective cushion groaning. "Ugh. That required far too much energy."

"Do you have any idea how funny it is to hear you whine? Nobody would believe me if I told them. Claudia is the only other person I know that has heard you."

"And my mother. Claudia doesn't count. I think I was drunk at the time." She continued to talk into the pillow, eyes closed again.

Myka leaned over the pillowed head, speaking softly. "Affected, yes. Drunk, no. And yes, she still counts. She just won't tell anyone."

"I'm not sleepy, just tired." Helena pulled Myka back on the bed curling back up next to her. "It has been nice, this whole family thing. Though, I wouldn't mind having had more time alone with you. I've missed you terribly. I hated not being able to talk to you, knowing you were sitting here completely in the dark. We've had enough of that already."

"Do you realize I have not had a family Christmas since…" She lay back thinking. Her face fell. She rolled back into Myka whispering, "Since before Christina died."

"I know. I was wondering." Myka kissed the top of her head. "How are you doing with that?"

"Sad. Odd, though, it hadn't occurred to me until just now. She loved Christmas. What child doesn't? Of course, I've thought about her; her ornaments on the tree, Pete's never ending childishness or Claudia and Joshua for that matter, and that bear. She had one just like it. I gave that to her on her fifth Christmas, I think. Yes, definitely her fifth. She was in a right foul temper one day while I was working and managed to spill the ink on my desk. His foot ended up with a blue butterfly as a result." Helena peered up at her. "What's wrong? You just froze on me?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing that can't wait. Why don't you come downstairs? Artie and my dad want to have a big movie thing with It's a Wonderful Life. No one was really interested last night. We can still snuggle and if you fall asleep, then so what? We can make an early night of it and go home alone."

Helena sat straight up, all fatigue forgotten, a look of terror on her face. "Snuggle? In front of your parents? Your dad?"

"Seriously? You had other carnal thoughts just now with them downstairs, but you're afraid of snuggling in front of them?"

"It is just a tiny bit intimidating, Myka. I've never had… What exactly are your parents to me? In-laws? I'm not sure I truly understand the proper etiquette in this situation."

"That's good, 'cause I sure as Hell don't know and I'm pretty damn sure my parents don't either."

"Still, it is very unnerving." She flopped back down on the bed.

"Oh, my God. I can't believe you're afraid of PDA in front of my parents. It doesn't bother you with anyone else."

"Myka, they're all family. Our physical relationship grew naturally around them. They're Pete and Claudia, who I remind you, has seen far more of our intimate interactions than I like to admit she has. Steve and Vanessa. I sometimes think she knows more about our sex life than we do. And as painful as it is to admit, even Artie. You can't just drop me on your parents and expect me to…They saw me naked in the middle of the floor!" She pulled the pillow over her head, hiding momentarily before pulling it away with both hands slamming it across her hips.

"They are your parents, Myka! They know we…don't just hold hands! They certainly had that made quite clear first thing this morning."

"So does everyone else! Repeatedly! Helena, at my age, I'm pretty sure my parents already knew I was not a virgin. Aren't I the one that's supposed to be freaking out over this? It's not like we're planning on a make out session in the corner chair, which, by the way, I've been told is not as dark as we once thought. Let's just go claim our usual spot on the sofa with your cold feet in Claudia's lap. Trust me, if my parents survived this morning, and so did you, I think we'll be okay."

"We sit in opposite chairs." She sat up straight, covers falling to her waist.

"No, we don't. Now put some clothes on. You have two choices; be teased by everyone else for being afraid of the in-laws later, with no mercy for weeks on end, running into years of 'remember that first Christmas', which we'll be hearing every year anyway, or ADAPTING to the situation like you do so well in this century." Myka supplied a sarcastic smile.

"Point taken. But if your mother makes one more grandchild comment…" She caught the clothes Myka threw at her.

"Coffee or tea?" Myka asked from the side of the bed.

"I would prefer tea."

"One or two cups?"

"One, of course. It doesn't taste right if we don't share."

"Point taken." She kissed Helena's forehead as she pulled on an old sweatshirt. "See you downstairs, and wear heavy socks. Claudia isn't as addicted to your cold feet as I am."

Helena sighed pulling on her jeans, a hole in the left knee. "It was so much better when I didn't have parents to contend with." She said to the deaf walls surrounding her.

* * *

Artie and Vanessa had already claimed the sofa, pushing the "youngsters" onto the floor. Steve's mom sat on the floor between Steve and Claudia, already harassing them over not sharing the popcorn. Myka squeezed in next to Claudia with a thick blanket. With a quick, uneasy glance at Myka's parents, Helena took her place on the floor laying against Myka and finally succumbing to Myka's subtle encouragement to lean into her body.

Twenty minutes into the film, her head resting comfortably in Myka's lap with Myka rubbing her head, Helena was sound asleep to the munching of popcorn and Jimmy Stewart in the background.

"Do I get chocolate with coconut, too?" Helena mumbled in her sleep creating a few snickers from the room.

"I thought she was more the Pooh Bear type with the honey pot?" Claudia whispered to Myka.

"My parents are right over there Claudia!" Myka hissed.

"If they didn't hear you this morning like the rest of us, then they didn't hear me." She countered back.

"But I did." Steve's mother chuckled on the other side.

"And so did I." Steve added, shoving her from across his mom's lap.

"Children!" Artie grumbled.

"Hit the pause button, Pete." Steve spoke up. "You want some help getting her home to bed, Myka?"

Myka looked down at the sleeping woman in her arms. "I hate to wake her up."

Steve stood up walking around the sofa to the other side. "You and I both know if she's in the mumbling zone she's not waking up if we do this right. You can just spend another night here. It's still snowing and it's easier." He said more quietly, trying not to smile, "We also know her mumbling isn't restricted to movies."

"Good point." She whispered back as Steve picked Helena up before Myka could say more. "So I guess this is good night. Merry Christmas. See ya in the morning."

Helena mumbled more as Steve readjusted her in his arms. His face turned white. "Steve, what's wrong?" Myka cocked her head.

He swallowed, shaking his head. "Nothing. Let's just get her to bed." He turned quickly heading to the stairs.

"Lock your door." Claudia sing-songed to Myka's turning back.

"Learn to knock." Myka sing-songed back.

"What's wrong?" Myka asked Steve as he carried his baggage up the stairs. She shot ahead to open the door.

"She's talking to Christina in her sleep again. You want me to get the Doc.?"

"No. She's gotten better. Most of the time nothing dramatic happens anymore. At least not over this. She has worse demons now."

"OK. Well, if you need me…" Steve stood reluctantly at the door watching Myka throw the comforter over her fully clothed companion.

Myka stroked the babbling cheek. She turned her head towards the door. "It's okay, Steve. She'll be fine. I promise. If we need you, you and the rest of South Dakota will hear it."

"Yeah, well, okay then. Good night and Merry Christmas." He shut the door, standing in the hallway listening to the sounds of Jimmy Stewart and Clarence.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N: **As always, thank you for your comments and reviews. They are always appreciated and thoughtfully considered. They help keep me on track at times and always honest. Keep crying, keep laughing. Without one, you can't have the other.

* * *

Myka's eye's fluttered open and she smiled with a happy sigh, squirming deeper into the warm body behind her. Helena curled around her, her right arm draped over her protectively, its her hand clasping her own. She burrowed her head deeper in the down pillow feeling the arm beneath it. Slow steady breaths warmed her shoulder. She basked in the moment. It was rare that they found themselves in this position. Helena was never as comfortable. Her torso was just enough out of proportion from Myka's she had to rest her head between Myka's shoulder blades in order to fit her hips and legs in synchronicity. More often than not she'd end up with a stiff neck.

"Mmmm." Helena's warm breath turned into a soft open kiss against her shoulder as she hugged Myka closer. "Why are you awake? What time is it?" She brushed her cheek against the warm bare skin, rolled her neck loose and started placing small kisses along her spine.

"I don't know. I just sort of woke up. I've been lying here enjoying." She squinted at the clock. "It's around ten thirtyish. Any nightmares?"

"Hmm? No. Why?" She asked sleepily.

"You fell asleep downstairs pretty quickly, so Steve carried you up. He said you were talking to Christina in your sleep. He was worried." She turned her head looking over her shoulder for any signs of distress on the drowsy face.

"Is that why I'm still in my clothes?" She frowned into Myka's warm back. She released her hand with a gentle squeeze, unconsciously stroking her forearm. Leaning over Myka's shoulder she rested her cheek against it and mumbled, "I talk in my sleep often. You make a point of telling me, usually because I've woken you up. I don't remember any dreams." She sighed sadly. "I hope she was happy."

Myka squeezed her hand. "I'm sure she was. But he's right; you do have nightmares the same night a lot."

"Hmm. True. Not this time. Let's hope it stays that way." They snuggled in silence until Helena looked over Myka's shoulder at her. "Myka? I can't feel my arm again. How is it this always happens to me?" She moaned, rolling onto her back.

Myka lifted her head off the pillow, taking the weight of her head off Helena's arm, releasing it. "First of all I think you stretch your arm way out in a weird position. Second, Vanessa thought it might be partially related to your injuries on that side. Remember? It doesn't happen to the right side as often."

She tried to tug her arm back, paralyzed from her shoulder. "Shit. I think I need some help. I can't move it."

Myka sat up laughing. "What do you want me to do about it? Just sit up."

"Well, I don't seem to be able to move it on my own at the moment, do I? A little help, please." She growled in frustration, dragging the dead weight with her as she sat up.

Myka picked up the paralyzed arm guiding it down the middle of the bed. Helena fell heavily back onto the bed, groaning.

"Ooo, ah, ooh. Oh, yes...there's the tingle. I hate this part. Why does this never happen to you?" She griped. "Okay, fingers are still there. That's good under the circumstances. Still can't move it. Ouch! What are you doing?" She glared up into amused eyes.

Myka picked her arm up letting it fall to the bed laughing harder. "Getting the circulation going."

"That's not really helping! I can think of better ways to do that. Just leave it be. It's resolving quite well without your help, thank you."

"That's not what you said when you wanted me to move it for you." Myka rubbed it gently.

"STOP. It's fine now…mostly." The appendage in question lifted. "Damn, damn, damn." She sucked in air between her teeth with the pin-pricking sensations crawling up her arm. "I think that's good. Still tingling." Myka made another move towards her arm. "Don't touch it!" She snapped fiercely.

"Where are you going?" Myka turned around as Helena rolled out of bed, her arm partially mobile.

"No where. You don't think I'm going to sleep in my clothes do you?" She pulled off her top with her right hand and began to undo her jeans, leaving a trail of clothes to the bathroom on her way to brush her teeth. She peeked out the door, her jeans still attached to one foot, smiling with a foamy filled mouth. "You weft da yight on." Leaning against the door frame, she kicked her jeans off into the middle of the room, one leg of them pulled inside out.

Myka sat on the bed with arms around her legs, chin resting on her knees, contemplating the face smiling. "Abigail thought we might think about trying to start down grading. We could start with a smaller lamp, then some night lights around the room. Maybe even work our way down to just one."

Helena stopped her toothbrush in mid-stroke, panic crossing her face in a flash. She turned slowly back into the bathroom finishing. "No" was the only thing Myka heard from the bathroom.

She crawled back under the covers, wiggling back into Myka's arms pulling the one over her middle and intertwined their fingers. She brought the hand to her lips, kissing Myka's knuckles, replacing it close to her stomach. "I can't lie back on my left arm again. Sorry. But I don't want to let you go." She said through a yawn.

Myka knew the door was closed on the discussion. She scrunched her face in silent frustration, closing her eyes. She cleared her head with a slow easy breath, counting backwards. Abigail warned her it may never be an option.

"We could switch sides, you know." Myka smiled, changing the topic, knowing what the response would be. She entwined her leg in Helena's, wrapping her feet around the cold ones, warming them from the trip to the cold tile floor of the bathroom.

"Won't work. Never worked well in the office. In hospital I had drugs." She sighed closing her eyes, yawning.

"You really can't sleep on the left side, can you?"

"Nope."

Myka leaned over her shoulder. "Your ever evolving language skills amaze me."

"Yup. The urban dictionary was bookmarked on my phone. I found it very handy. Oh, I need a new phone. Jane already rolled her eyes at me so don't start. I don't understand why it remains such an issue. They are the ones putting me in those situations after all. I would think one phone for my life is far from an even exchange."

"Broken or lost this time?" Myka rested her chin on the exposed shoulder.

She rolled her head slightly long enough to smile at Myka. "That would be, yes."

"Yes? How is 'yes' an answer?" Delicate fingers ran lightly up and down Myka's arm.

"Just is. Maybe we can get it tomorrow when we take your parents to the airport. We should return the car at the same time."

"You want to get a new phone on the day after Christmas?"

"Good point. I hate shopping. Can we just do it on-line then?"

"Sure. So back to this other thing. Why do you need to sleep on the right side?"

"Hmm. I don't really know." She leaned back against Myka looking at the ceiling. "I never thought about it. Growing up the door was to the right of the bed. Christina's door was also to the right, as was my door in Warehouse 12 and here. It would appear it's the location of the door. It was the nearest escape route, or in Christina's case, to her."

"But it's not on the right at home or here. It's at the foot of the bed at home and my side here." Myka glanced at the now locked door, frowning.

"And, you're here with me." She kissed the hand back in hers, again. "Probably just habit now. I could probably learn to sleep on the left side, but what would be the point in that? We're quite comfortable like this. Aren't we?"

Myka nuzzled the back of her neck inhaling deeply, talking into a mass of soft hair. "Mmm. I have no complaints. Except how did we manage in this bed? It is kind of small."

"I repeatedly told you we needed a bigger bed and you ignored me. You're just used to our real bed now. It is cozy for the moment, though." She repositioned her feet under Myka's. "I missed you."

"I'm still mad at you." She hugged her tighter.

"I know. Tomorrow." She yawned. She turned her head towards Myka, focusing with one eye. "I do love you so very much."

"I know. Now get some sleep."

"Myka?" Helena started hesitantly. "Do you still love me?"

"You need to ask? I wouldn't be mad at you if I didn't. I love you more than you'll ever know." She kissed the cooling shoulder readjusting their still newly clasped hands under the covers and pulling the blanket up over Helena, tucking it around her. "Now go to sleep."

"Hmm. That's good. You're my world. You keep me grounded. I don't think I'd still be here if you were not. Tomorrow. Tomorrow we talk." She snuggled deeper under the covers. "I'm not leaving. I promise."

* * *

Myka roused quickly from her disturbing dreams finding herself staring off the edge of the bed. The ever present light from the bathroom cast long shadows along the walls and ceiling, bringing her back from the dark abyss she found herself sleeping in so often. A heavy sigh beside her drew her attention away from her thoughts and she turned her head to find her soundly sleeping partner placed heavily in the center of the bed. She laughed to herself trying to remember when Helena had turned into such a bed hog. _So much for the right side_, she thought. She'd missed the comfort of the warmth beside her to complain too much.

She smiled as Helena stretched her full body, back curling like a cat stretching in front of a warm fire and rolling onto her back. Helena's left hand flopped back with a smack onto the pillow missing her head by inches. Myka stretched out along the smooth naked skin, thirsty for the merest of touches after weeks of starvation. She gave in to her selfish desires and held steadfast onto the mooring in her bed. Wrapping her arm around Helena, settling her head on her chest, dozing off to the steady thud of the heart against her ear in the faint glow of the bathroom light and the shadows surrounding them searching for calmer waters.

Her eyes flew open from the erotic dream to stare at the ceiling, biting her lip hard, trying not to disturb the cause of her excruciating discomfort and the growing ache in her gut. She wrapped her left arm protectively around the sweet smelling body sleeping on her, swallowing hard as Myka's leg moved slightly again between her legs in her sleep. It wasn't all a dream. Another surge of wetness covered the lean thigh tightly wedged against her. Myka's hand brushed against Helena's side as her even breaths caressed the breast her head had settled next to.

Myka smirked. Helena had no idea she was awake and enjoying this new game. She could hear the soft grunts and feel the clenching of the hand on her shoulder, the muscles in her legs tensing on either side of her own with each premeditated move she made; each breath beneath her became shallower and unsteady, the grunts and swallows constricted, muscles strained and twitched. Helena raised her left knee unconsciously pressing against Myka's equally wet center. Taking pity, Myka finally raised herself on all fours, leaning back against the raised thigh, groaning loudly as she took the breath teased nipple into her mouth. A wet soft tongue soothed the sharp scrape of teeth across the already sensitive nipple.

"You are so evil!" Helena gasped, relieved at being able to give up her struggle, pressing harder into Myka's mouth. She cried out in frustration, when Myka lifted her head smiling wickedly.

Leaning forward on all fours, she traced Helena's ear with her tongue. "You deserve it. I'm still mad at you, remember?" She whispered before diving in for a long, deep, bruising kiss, halting all sound but a guttural groan deep in Helena's throat in response. Her tongue traced the outer surface of the straight teeth, stroking across the individual ridges and glancing off the cutting edges. She slowly retreated with a light pull on Helena's lower lip. Returning, Helena buried her hands deep in Myka's hair, meeting her tongue thrust for thrust before pushing her away.

"Need…oxygen." Helena turned her head to the side panting, hands following the length of Myka's back and stroking up her sides, exposing her neck for Myka's next attack. Sharp nips left a red trail down its length, ending above her collarbone with a tug on a fold of skin. Myka softened the tug with her tongue before leaving a mark behind. "If this is my punishment," Helena husked between ragged breaths, "I'll be sure to anger you more often then."

Myka lowered herself, lying fully against Helena's side. Her chin resting in the palm of her hand held up on her elbow, Myka watched her fingers dance lightly over the soft breasts, brazenly toying with already aching hard nipples and playing connect the dots with the smattering of freckles spattered across the canvas of Helena's chest now more prominent from the sun she'd been exposed to over the past weeks.

"Where were you that all of these freckles have come out of hiding?" Myka asked leaning over her, dropping soft kisses haphazardly among the freckles between occasional extended detours to either breast.

"Mostly Greece," she breathed. Her left hand clasped Myka's back, fingers attempting to find purchase, her nails leeaving long red marks down its length. "A short stay in…Palermo." She lost her grasp as Myka pivoted on her knees. Hands replaced her mouth continuing her journey to a soft firm belly with soft kisses.

Helena's flushed damp body tensed, taut in restraint against the quickly growing heat and ache for release. "Your parents…" She gasped. "Myka…please…" She begged.

Myka turned her head resting it at the pulse point that so fascinated her. With a devilish smile she looked into the molten brown eyes. "I thought it was Boxing Day? You have pillows. Use them." She laughed wickedly, knowing her time was limited. Pivoting again on her knees, she grasped each thigh in her arms, caressing each with her cheek against the soft, damp skin. She kissed a painfully deliberate path down the inside of a thigh crossing over to Helena's sharp hip bone, leaving a mark. Helena groaned loudly as she traced the crevice between leg and torso with her tongue. Slowly, she raked her teeth subtly against her swollen clit, causing Helena's hips to jerk up against her, cracking Myka's chin with the sharp pubic bone. She lay down flat, restraining the volatile hips against the mattress, continuing to tease the exposed flesh with her tongue.

Helena strained against the weight holding her down, body trembling on the edge. With little to hold onto, she grasped the edge of the mattress and the pillow beside her. Releasing, she knocked Myka off, screaming into the pillow, jerking with each following wave. She collapsed onto the bed limp, dropping the pillow off the edge of the bed, panting and gasping for any air.

Myka crawled up beside her. Looking down at the flushed face, waiting patiently for her eyes to open, Myka brushed the sweat plastered hair away from Helena's brow and stroked the side of her face with her thumb. "Sweetie, where are you?" She called softly through the rasping.

She waited for a response, slightly concerned as Helena came back with painful reluctance. "Helena? Are you still here?" She asked urgently.

"Yes…here." Her breathing became steadier. She yawned, her body starved for oxygen. Opening her eyes, she was drawn directly into the bright, glinting green. "What…did you…just…do…to me?"

Myka rested her chin on her arm across Helena's chest, a smug smile, still stroking the side of her head. "Oct 15th, 1887. With a little improvisation."

Helena shook her head, confused. "What? What are you talking about?" She started taking slower, deeper breaths, struggling to focus on what Myka said.

Myka beamed proudly.

Helena closed her eyes, smiling and taking a deep breath with Myka riding the rise of her chest. "I'm not altogether sure how I feel about you having read those journals now." She chuckled. "Dare I ask who else was involved on that occasion?" She asked yawning again, stroking Myka's sweaty back.

"You can ask, but if you don't remember I don't see that it matters. Besides, I think I just exceeded that entry." She hugged Helena to her, resting her head fully on her chest now, listening to the settling heart.

Helena kissed the top of her forehead and dropped her head back heavily in the deep pillow. "I don't ever recall that being a Boxing Day tradition, but no complaint shall I make if it becomes one." Her body spent but still tingling, she started to relax under the comforting weight above her, hands slowing to settle on Myka's shoulders.

Unwilling to settle for a quick peck on the head, Myka slid up, taking Helena's head in her hands and kissed her deeply, her own aching desires growing. "God I love you. Please, don't leave me again." She stared intently into partially closed eyes.

"I'm still here, Myka." She brushed the back of her hand across the cheek above her, closing her eyes. "I'm still here." She sighed, her hand dropping to the side. "I'm not going anywhere." She faded off.

"Helena?" Not getting any response she tried again. "Helena?"

Myka rolled over staring at the ceiling. "Great. You just passed out on me. Now what?" She turned her head to stare at her sleeping lover. "I can't believe this." She laughed softly.

Shaking her head, she got out of bed pulling the covers over the cooling damp body. With a frustrated sigh, Myka headed for the shower.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Myka." Helena retorted defensively, shutting the door behind her.

Myka swung around laughing with disbelief. She shrugged, staring at the door over Helena's shoulder. "Helena, you fell asleep on me!" She headed for the stairs, shaking her head bewildered, Helena close behind.

"Really, Myka, it's not like it's never happened before. You have been as guilty of doing the same in the past and you know it. It's not as if either one of us has never missed the mark before either. It's not an exacting science! If I were you, I'd consider it a compliment."

"You fell asleep and left me hanging out to dry!" She paused at the top of the stairway. "Just… whatever. You're right. Just…forget about it. Okay?"

"Fine. I'll buy us some batteries for next time." Helena followed, annoyed at herself as much as Myka's reaction. She woke up from her dream state to find Myka staring at her from the chair, feet on the bed and book in hand. Instead of the smile she'd expected she was greeted with a very perturbed Myka asking her curtly, "Have a nice nap? I had a lovely cold shower." Though not angry, Myka clarified for Helena's benefit the end result of their morning tryst.

"That's not even funny." Myka stopped suddenly, turning sharply to face Helena on the stair above her. "I can manage to take care of things on my own, thank you very much. Just what do you think I did when you were off gallivanting around who knows where for weeks at a time? We both know what your experience consists of, don't we? Hardly a problem for you. None what so ever. We've got your journals to prove it. You had me read them, remember? It seems like you've benefited nicely, say like, this morning for one. Happy Boxing Day, by the way. That is one of YOUR holidays isn't it? Unlike Thanksgiving Day. But, I don't think you really want to go there." She turned again, heading down the stairs. Helena grabbed her on the landing, turning her around to face her head on.

"Myka, you are, once again, being quite unreasonable. As far as my journals are concerned, you have been the constant beneficiary for quite some time now. Repeatedly. Do remember what I have gone through in the last 24 hours. I've had very little sleep. I was rudely awoken yesterday morning with strangers staring at me naked on the cold floor to discover I was a rather big surprise to your parents. Thank you very much, again, for that by the way. Not to mention it took me five days to get here via numerous airports and bus terminals and ended up driving out of a bloody snow storm just to get here to be with you! You cannot hold it against me for being exhausted and falling asleep after a rather amorous wake-up call from you. As wonderful as it was, and I admit it was quiet magnificent, darling, perhaps you should have chosen a more appropriate time to indulge your hormones if you anticipated any sort of reciprocation." She stopped to take a calming breath. More softly, "I am dreadfully sorry to have missed the opportunity of making love to you." She ran her hands lightly down Myka's front, taking her time to fully enjoy her breasts before continuing to rest her hands on Myka's hips. Pulling her forward, Helena tried to lean fully into her for a kiss. Myka took her hands from her hips holding them against Helena's sides.

"You fell asleep." She enunciated every word firmly, starting to smile at the event. "I ended up taking a cold shower, which really doesn't work, while you took over the whole bed in the afterglow with a smile on your face. When did you start doing that anyway?"

"Doing what?" She responded, perplexed by the change of topic.

"Being a bed hog?" Myka turned towards the open kitchen door.

"Apparently when I started living up to that little moniker that everyone seems to find so amusing. After all, it was a rather violent eruption." Helena slammed hard against Myka's back when she stopped short just in the kitchen. With a heavy sigh, she pushed Myka aside, irritated, remarking sarcastically, "Now what is your problem? Still in distress?"

"You could say that." Myka whispered.

Helena looked up to see all eyes staring at them from the kitchen table. Joshua and Abigail were still absent. Artie stared over his glasses with Vanessa settled back in her chair next to him, smirking. Steve sat in a similar position grinning broadly, arms crossed over his chest, his mother next to him smiling more subtly and trying hard not to laugh. Pete sat with his mouth wide open, a fork full of scrambled eggs frozen in the air. A small piece of egg fell from the fork, landing on the table. Myka's parents didn't know what to think, sitting confused, having never heard this uninhibited side of their daughter before. Claudia raised her eyebrows, coffee cup frozen in mid-air along with Pete's eggs, the first to speak.

"Forget something?" Claudia asked. "Like, maybe, oh, say, I don't know…you're not alone here? You do realize we heard every word. Like that's ever stopped you before…You are so moving out tonight." She placed her coffee on the table with a definitive thud. "Nice hickey, HG. It is winter, you know. Ya' might want to consider a turtleneck next time."

Helena took it all in stride taking a chair at the table as Myka stood frozen behind her, face red, staring at her parent's unreadable expressions. She shrugged slightly.

"Claudia, you know I find those things far too constricting. Might just as well put a python around my neck and be done with it. As far as tonight is concerned, of that I can guarantee. In recompense for my transgression, we will most definitely require a larger bed." Helena replied dead panned, reaching for the orange juice. "And I, a very long nap. Alone."

Claudia coughed the coffee half way down her throat. Vanessa, Steve and Pete finally let loose their restrained laughter and a clang rang through the room as Pete dropped his fork. He sat back in his chair and sing-songed, "They're baa-aack."

"Do you two want some coffee? Sounds like you could do with a pick me up." Jane asked calmly after clearing her throat loudly, holding back her own smile in the kitchen with the coffee pot in hand. She poured a large cup not waiting for an answer.

"Oh, yes. That's lovely. I wouldn't want to be accused of falling asleep." She took the pro-offered cup holding it out for Myka. "Do sit down, Myka. I, for one, am famished and you seem to have a healthy appetite from my experience."

Myka stumbled into a chair taking a healthy gulp of coffee. Helena took the cup from her hand. "So, what are we all doing today?"

* * *

"A healthy appetite? How could you?" Myka finally asked after the long quiet drive back from the airport.

They pulled up to the warehouse sliding on the packed snow.

"You aren't still going on about that are you? Your mother seemed happy for you."

"What! What the Hell makes you think that?"

"Really Myka, you didn't actually think I was going to get away without the individual interrogations did you? I thought I'd managed to avoid all that fuss during my former life. Apparently I was wrong. I had to go and fall in love with someone with actual parents in a time period where it still mattered. Where did you think I was after breakfast? She dragged me out for a walk after your father gave me what was the equivalent to Pete's little lecture. Why are we here?" She looked around the white expanse before the rusty face of the building. "I thought you were taking me to the cottage, or rather 'house' as you say? I'd hoped to at least get a walk through before tonight."

"Uh huh. Back to my parents. You laughed in Pete's face and walked away. I hope you didn't laugh in my dad's face."

"Of course not! I sat and listened to the lecture graciously and responded appropriately that my intentions were as honorable as yours. He seemed to accept that, however reluctantly. I'd forgotten how protective fathers are of their daughters."

"So you charmed the pants off of him." Her stiff smile reeked of sarcasm.

"Quite possibly." Myka glared at her. "Honestly Myka. You are not the one that has ever, or ever will, have to deal with the judgment of anyone closely related to me."

"True. Now, back to you talking to my mother about our sex life?" She locked the door, child proofing them and turned to her passenger, crossing her arms.

"What is there to say? I fear many more of the 'mother-daughter' talks in the future." She visibly shivered. "I never chose to have them with my own mother!"

"And…"

"Have no fears, dear. I steered her far away from that topic quite easily. I think she is just curious. I'm sure the internet is going to be burnt out when they get home. She only mentioned she was happy that you seemed to, oh what did she say? Yes. You seemed to be far more open and demonstrative with me than she'd witnessed before and from what she was hearing everything must be good in the bedroom. Believe me, I wish to remain quite clear of anymore conversation regarding my intimate relations with you in our bed, or out of it for that matter."

Myka burst out laughing at Helena's obvious discomfort, adding to the already steamed over windows. "You have no problem with her overhearing how good you got it this morning, as well as fairly detailed comments to everyone else here, but you are uncomfortable with her actually asking about it."

"Darling, even I have boundaries; parents being one of them. And I would appreciate if you tell her to drop the topic of children! Now open the bloody door and tell me why we are here." She tried in vain to open the locked door.

Myka stopped laughing instantly, turning cold. "I'll talk to her. How much do you want her to know?"

"What we tell everyone else when the need arises; I lost my daughter when she was eight and I do not wish to discuss the matter further." She sighed heavily, laying her head back against the headrest. Staring through the cloudy window, she made circles through the fog with her finger. She brushed off the hand Myka tried to place on her own.

Myka leaned back against the door, counting to ten in frustration. She unlocked the doors getting out of the car, breaking Helena's journey in the past, just to throw her right into the middle of it.

"Well, there's something you need to see." She stuck her head back in the car getting the woman's attention. "We have a situation we need to address."

"What do you mean by 'we'?" She looked at her suspiciously getting out of the car, her feet crunching on the snow.

"You and me." She held open the door to the warehouse. "Claudia is waiting for us."

"I knew there was something going on. Why didn't she say anything?" Helena started to pick up her pace down the umbilicus.

"We'd left, remember? She wasn't really sure it was us at first. Then when she figured out it really was us, she thought it would fix itself, meaning us."

"What do you mean 'us'? You keep saying 'us'." She flung open the door to the office. Artie spun around in his chair from a computer. Claudia ignored the crashing door, smiling at the long missed temper tantrums.

"Oh, how nice. You finally decided to come see your little problem." He sneered at Helena. "Now go fix it!"

"What are you all talking about? I was only just informed. Someone with rather colorful hair seems to have forgotten to tell me something. Now what are you all talking about?"

"Hey, HG…" she drawled, spinning in her chair towards the center of the room. "I didn't think one day would really matter much, and since we had a quiet Christmas for once, well, warehouse wise that is, and it's been pretty stable since Myka came home; a little turbulent, but no major earthquakes." Artie glared at her. She went on quickly looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "Uh, not that we ever had one, and I don't think we will…Yeah, so take a look?" She pointed to the door. "We all know how temperamental you can be, but this is sort of over kill, don't you think?" She got up, following them to the platform.

Helena stopped at the rail. "Is that where I think it is?"

"If you mean is it over that little space that the Regents thought you deserved, the answer is yes." Claudia squatted down resting her chin on her arms on the railing. "Been there since, uh, don't remember when. You should have seen it when you two had that, uh, well... never mind." Claudia caught the hot flare being directed at her in Myka's eyes.

"So it's connected to us in some way. From what I gather from your short commentary, thanks to Myka's look at you, that I can only assume she is giving you right now," she turned her head around towards Myka quickly, her hand resting contemplating against her chin and an arrogant smile, "then it is affected by our emotions. More accurately, those created between Myka and I. Am I correct?"

"Seems like it. At least somewhat." Claudia stuck her tongue out at Myka, who repeated the gesture back.

Helena gazed out over the warehouse at the stormy cloud, an occasional charge flashing.

"Now this is interesting." She mused.


End file.
